Last Goodbye
by AmunRa
Summary: When Kaiba finds out that two of his employees have been stealing money from Kaiba Corp., he gets himself, and Yugi, involved in a situation bigger than he could have imagined.
1. Last Goodbye

Author's note: This fic was written for Chibizoo's fanfic contest. The guidelines were very specific, and I ask that you read the entire story before coming to any conclusions, since the beginning is a bit misleading. The story isn't very long, so please read all of it.  
  
Warnings: Character death, slight Kaiba/Yugi Song credit: My Immortal, by Evanescence  
  
Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Last Goodbye  
  
"Please don't fight him."  
  
The young voice sounded worried, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to listen to it.  
  
"This won't help you."  
  
I had every intention of telling the voice to shut up, to mind its own business, but as soon as I turned my attention away from my opponent, he pounced. I felt the fist strike my jaw, which numbed the entire right side of my face, before blossoming into a symphony of pain. Instead of the pain crippling me, it served to wake me up. My senses were on full alert and my body was tight with tension. I felt alive for the first time in what seemed like eternity. I shifted into a defensive crouch, the martial arts training I'd been forced to undertake as a child clicking into place. My vision was hazy, almost black, so I couldn't see my opponent, but I knew he was there.  
  
I felt a presence beside me and dodged, but not before striking back. My hand connected with something solid, and I heard a grunt. My attacker threw a few blows as well, but I blocked them. I wasn't going to let him lay another hand on me. My breath was slow and even, and my body moved with practiced ease. My opponent gasped for breath beside me, and I bared my teeth as I hit him again. I felt something warm on my fist, but I didn't pay attention to what it was. I had to eliminate the threat first.  
  
"Stop it, stop it!" The young voice was panicked now. "Someone stop this now!"  
  
Two sets of hands suddenly grabbed me and dragged me to the floor. They pinned my chest to the ground so that my throbbing cheek scraped against the rough surface as I tried to break free. I was immobilized from the waist up, but my legs were still free. I kicked and felt my foot connect with something soft. Encouraged, I continued to kick at anything that got in the way. The rage that had been bubbling on the edge of the careful control I'd been maintaining for the last few days broke free, and I pulled away from the hands holding me. I was only free for a few seconds, before I was in the grip of the strong hands once again.  
  
"Kaiba, you son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
"What's gotten into you?"  
  
"You're acting like a caged animal."  
  
"Man, I've never seen Kaiba loose his cool like that."  
  
The words came to me as if through a fog. It took several tries until I could decipher what was being said. It took even longer to realize that the words were directed at me. As I returned to myself, I found that I was on my knees in front of the school. My arms had been twisted behind my back, and my legs were pinned down by something or someone I couldn't see.  
  
"Are you insane? You could kill someone fighting like that."  
  
I didn't recognize the voice and was startled to see one of the seniors snarling down at me. I found a similar guy on my other side. They tightened their hold on my arms, which made it impossible for me to break free. I shook my head to clear some of the remaining fuzziness, and then lowered it to catch my breath. My uniform jacket had come open during the fight and my white shirt was splattered with blood. The sight jostled me and reminded me of a similar sight when someone else's blood had stained my clothing. I tried to get up, away from the memory, but the two guys holding me wouldn't let go.  
  
It was then that I heard a woman crying. I looked up and realized for the first time that I was not alone with my two guards. Wheeler lay on the ground in front of me. The front of his shirt and jacket were soaked in blood. He was holding his nose, and I could see blood seeping out from underneath his fingers. Tea sat beside him, trying to stop the bleeding. The white cloth she had put over Wheeler's nose had been soaked through with blood, and it dawned on me that she was the one crying. Yugi sat beside Wheeler, looking worriedly at him, and then at me. He held a hand over his mouth, and I could see blood leaking from underneath his fingers as well.  
  
I turned away, avoiding Yugi's confused, questioning, and somewhat condemning gaze. I was concerned for him, wanted to ask if he was okay, but refrained from doing so. He was my greatest weakness, my greatest desire, and I was not about to let him know that I gave a damn about him.  
  
"You son of a bitch. It was just a stupid comment, Kaiba. You didn't have to break his nose, you bastard."  
  
Tristan was glaring at me, his fists clenched at his sides. I had a feeling that if the two upperclassmen weren't holding me down, Tristan would attempt to beat me to a pulp. The ironic part of the situation was that I didn't remember what Wheeler had said.  
  
"He said that if it weren't for your little brother, no one else would love you."  
  
It was the young voice again. I'd give anything if I could stop hearing it, but had a feeling it wasn't going to leave me alone any time soon. It was right, though. I now remember how Wheeler's idiotic comment had shattered the wall of control I'd barely been able to hold up over the last week. He deserved it, though. He should know when to keep his mouth shut.  
  
"What is going on here?"  
  
I knew that voice. It wasn't one I wanted to hear right now.  
  
"Principal Watanabe, Seto Kaiba just attacked Joey Wheeler and Yugi Moto," Tristan said.  
  
I didn't attack Yugi. I couldn't have, because I would never harm him. I would gladly beat up his stupid friends, but never him. I looked in his direction again and saw that he was on his knees beside Wheeler. Small gurgling sounds could be heard from the stupid mutt, and I actually saw tears running down Yugi's cheeks, to go along with the blood on his face. The left side of his mouth was bruised, and his lips were already swollen from the blow. Blood had dribbled down his chin and neck to splatter on his white shirt and on the golden puzzle around his neck. Had I done that to him?  
  
It came to me a bit clearer then. Wheeler had been his normal, stupid self, and said that stupid comment. I said something back, and he'd hit me. I merely defended myself. I'm not sure how Yugi came to be hurt, but I hadn't hurt him. For all I know, Wheeler could have hit him.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, is what Mr. Taylor said true?"  
  
I glared at the two guys holding me down, and they wisely released me. They were bigger and broader than me, but I had no doubt I could take them if they tried anything. I got to my feet, dusted the dirt off my uniform and turned to face the principal.  
  
"Wheeler attacked me first. I just defended myself."  
  
"What about Mr. Moto?"  
  
I shrugged. "He should know better than to get in the middle of a fight, especially with his height disadvantage."  
  
The principal glared at me, and then walked to Wheeler.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, go to my office right now. The rest of you take Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Moto to the nurse. You can handle that, right?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Tea replied through her sobs.  
  
I watched the idiots sort out who was going to carry Wheeler, and then turned away in disgust. I didn't wait to be escorted to the principal's office. I picked up my briefcase from where I had dropped it and walked to where I'd been told to go. I don't usually follow orders, but this gave me an excuse to get away from those losers. I already knew what the principal wanted to say to me, and I didn't give a damn. I shoved open the door to the outer office, and the secretary jumped up in surprise. She gaped at me, and I glared at her in return until she looked away. I similarly shoved open the door to the principal's inner office and sat on one of the chairs in front of his desk.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, I heard the inner door close.  
  
"Fighting is not tolerated in this school, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
I said nothing.  
  
The man came around to sit on his chair, giving me a look of complete disapproval. "You break enough rules around here as it is. Blatantly attacking a fellow student will not be excused."  
  
My jaw clenched in anger. "I did not 'blatantly attack' anyone, Mr. Watanabe. The mutt should know better than to start a fight with me."  
  
"This wasn't just a fight. You broke Mr. Wheeler's nose and his jaw. He's on his way to Domino hospital at the moment. You damn near broke Mr. Moto's jaw as well. Lucky for you, the nurse says that it's just bruised. What do you have to say for yourself?"  
  
"The fight was with Wheeler, not with Moto. I didn't attack him."  
  
The principal eyed me carefully. "He apparently tried to break up the fight and you hit him."  
  
I shrugged, disinterested in where the conversation was going. "Moto should know better than to butt in where he doesn't belong. They both got what they deserved."  
  
The principal's eyes darkened. "I've had it with you, Mr. Kaiba. I've let too many of your transgressions go unpunished because of the funding your company gives to our school. When you start endangering others, you become too much of a liability. You're out. As of right now, you no longer attend this school."  
  
I stared at the man for a long moment, and then laughed. "You think that's going to affect my life one bit? I didn't have to come to school in the first place. I only did it for some small amount of normalcy. I could have graduated years ago but chose not to. If you expel me, you'll only be giving me an excuse to devote all of my time to my company. I win either way."  
  
The principal's jaw twitched. The man was obviously not used to having his authority questioned.  
  
"Fine. Clear out your locker and don't set foot in this facility again."  
  
I grinned. I'd never heard anything that sounded better in my life.  
  
"It'll be my pleasure."  
  
I left the office, making sure to slam both doors on my way out. I didn't have anything in my locker, so I immediately went to the parking lot. As I put on my seat belt, I once again saw my blood splattered shirt. This time, I couldn't shove the memories away.  
  
****  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."  
  
I heard someone screaming for an ambulance, but looking down at the bundle in my arms, I knew it wouldn't do any good. I felt numb; as if I were watching the events happen to someone else. It wasn't real to me, not even when I saw his blood slowly spill out of his head and stain my white trench coat red. I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter to me, wishing I could take back the last few minutes of my life and do them all over again.  
  
****  
  
I wrenched myself out of the memory and buttoned up my coat. There was blood on it too, but it wasn't as noticeable on the blue fabric. I started the car and peeled out of the parking lot. I felt hot tears sliding down my cheeks, but didn't bother to wipe them away. There'd be no use, anyway. More would just take their place.  
  
*I'm so tired of being here  
  
Suppressed by all my childish fears*  
  
"Turning everyone against you isn't going to help you deal with the pain."  
  
I didn't turn in the direction of the voice this time, because I knew he'd be there. I'd been seeing and hearing him ever since the accident and I refused to acknowledge his presence. It wasn't that I was afraid to admit I was going crazy because I was seeing ghosts. No, I just didn't want to admit that he was dead.  
  
*And if you have to leave  
  
I wish that you would just leave  
  
Because your presence still lingers here  
  
And it won't leave me alone*  
  
I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going, so I was surprised to find myself in front of Domino Elementary School. It was the middle of the day, so classes were still in session. I pulled up next to the playground, and killed the engine. I sat in my car for a while, wondering what I was doing here. The more I looked at the play ground, the more I knew I had to be there. I opened the door and was about to get out when I heard him again.  
  
"This isn't a good idea. You shouldn't go back there."  
  
I hesitated for a fraction of a second before getting out of the car and slamming the door shut. I suddenly felt chilled, and crossed my arms against my chest for warmth. I walked to the playground, but stopped where the yellow police tape warned people to stay out. A bitter smile crossed my face, and I trampled the tape with my foot.  
  
The swings swayed gently in the breeze, and the leaves on the trees fell to the ground, littering it with specks of brown and red. I had eyes for nothing but the bars next to the swings, the ones kids usually hang off of by their knees. There were three of them of various heights. I was drawn to the tallest one and kept walking until I stood beside it. I looked down and my eyes watered again when I saw the small, dark brown patch underneath the bar.  
  
****  
  
"Mokuba, let's go! I'm already running late."  
  
I spotted him on the playground beside one of his friends. They were standing on top of the tallest bar, and just seeing him up there made me nervous. Mokuba was athletic and had gotten the same martial arts training I had, but it still made me edgy when he pulled stunts like this one.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? Mokuba? Mokuba!"  
  
He turned to me then, his grey eyes widening in surprise at my arrival, and then narrowing in guilt at what I was seeing him do. He lowered his head, which was why he didn't notice when his friend nudged him in the side. The nudge was small, but Mokuba had apparently lost his concentration on what he was doing. His head shot up, eyes widening in fear. I was momentarily confused, until I realized that Mokuba had lost his balance. He tipped to one side, his face turning in the direction of the fall. I stood rooted to my spot, unable to make a sound, unable to make myself move to catch him.  
  
His head struck one of the lower bars, and the sound of bone breaking was loud enough to break my paralysis. I ran to him, but didn't reach him in time. His body hit the ground with a loud thud. I kneeled next to him and cradled him in my arms. His face was bloody and his bangs were plastered to his face. A scream lodged itself in my throat, rendering me mute.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."  
  
I heard Mokuba's friend, but didn't pay attention to him. I heard someone else screaming for an ambulance, but looking down at the bundle in my arms, I knew that it wouldn't do any good. I felt numb; as if I were watching the events happen to someone else. It wasn't real to me, not even when I saw his blood slowly spill out of his head and stain my white trench coat red. I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter to me, wishing I could take back the last few minutes of my life and do them all over again.  
  
My breath came in short gasps, and I felt as if I were slowly suffocating. I heard nothing, except for the blood pounding in my ears. I felt hands on my shoulders, on my arms, but I refused to let go of my brother.  
  
"Please, sir, let us take him to the hospital."  
  
The man's voice finally penetrated the roaring in my head, and I looked up to see a paramedic kneeling beside me. They'd laid a stretcher on the ground and were telling me to put Mokuba on it. I didn't want to do it, didn't want to let go of my brother, but they finally managed to pry him out of my arms. They rushed the stretcher to the ambulance while another paramedic pulled me to my feet.  
  
"Are you related to the boy?"  
  
I couldn't get my mind to form a coherent sentence, so I nodded.  
  
"You'll want to come with us to the hospital."  
  
The paramedic led me to the ambulance, and I slowly got in. They had Mokuba attached to a lot of machines, but I didn't see his chest rise or fall with his breath. I slipped to the side and lay a hand on his neck, but didn't find a pulse. The paramedic in front of me gave me a sympathetic glance, and it was enough to snap me back into focus.  
  
I took a deep breath and pulled my control over myself like a cloak. I sat back and glared at the paramedic until he looked away. No one else said anything to me after that, not until the doctors told me Mokuba had broken his neck and fractured his skull in the fall. No one else bothered to care.  
  
****  
  
*These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time cannot erase*  
  
The brown patch blurred, and I realized I was crying again. I shook my head in disgust. Crying was for idiots, and I am most certainly not an idiot. I wiped my cheeks and left the playground. Once I was in the safety of my car, I let out a shuddering sigh.  
  
"Please, Seto, get help. You can't deal with this alone."  
  
I turned to the passenger seat, finally acknowledging the presence of my brother's spirit.  
  
"You're gone, Mokuba. There's no one left to help me, no one left to care, so I have to deal with this alone."  
  
*When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
  
I've held your hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me*  
  
**~~**  
  
I drove to Kaiba Corp. instead of going home. The mansion had become unbearable to me since the day I buried my brother. Its large rooms suffocated me, the endless corridors seemed like a metaphor for my life: long and empty. The staff didn't know what to do with me, so they'd taken to avoiding me at all times. It was amusing to see them scurrying out of my way when I walked past.  
  
Kaiba Corp. was bustling with activity when I arrived. I went to the floor where the programmers worked and walked among them, checking their work, making sure everything was on schedule. No one treated me any differently. They acknowledged my presence, answered my questions, and then continued with their work as they'd always done. It was lulling, in a way, to not matter to these people. They only put up with me because I signed their paychecks, and I had no problem with that. No involvement meant no pain, and that was fine with me.  
  
I stopped by a cubicle to find the young man playing a game when he should have been working on updates to the latest virtual reality software. It took him a while to realize I was standing behind him, but when he did, his face paled. He was a few years older than me, in his early twenties, but he was terrified of me.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba. I hadn't realized you were standing there."  
  
"I don't pay you to play games, do I?" I asked.  
  
I came looking for a reason to get angry, to vent my loss and grief in the form of anger, and this poor bastard had just given me what I was looking for.  
  
"No, sir, you don't."  
  
"Then why are you wasting my resources and my money?"  
  
The man didn't reply.  
  
"I may be younger than you, but I'm not stupid," I said, my voice as cold and as loud as I could make it without yelling. I wanted them to hate me, to yell at me, to tell me to go to hell. "I don't hire you to play games on my time, using my computers. If you're going to do that, I suggest you go home."  
  
Every head within a ten foot radius had turned in my direction, and I glared at each of them in turn. Most lowered their head or avoided my eyes, and I smiled inwardly, satisfied. I turned back to the reason for my wrath.  
  
"Didn't you hear me, I said go home," I said. "Don't bother to come back."  
  
I stood inside the man's cubicle as he packed up his few belongings and then left the floor, his peers watching as he left. Some turned back to face me, and while I saw anger in their eyes, I knew they wouldn't say anything to me.  
  
"Anyone else want give me a reason to fire you?" I asked the room in general.  
  
No one spoke. Slowly, as if afraid to enrage me any further, they all returned to their work. I took one more look at the now empty cubicle before leaving the floor.  
  
**~~**  
  
I was in the elevator on the way to the lobby when he appeared again. I'd be amused, if seeing and hearing him didn't feel like my heart was being shredded into pieces.  
  
*You used to captivate me  
  
By your resonating light  
  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind*  
  
"Did that make you feel better, Seto? The guy you just fired has a newborn baby and a wife to feed."  
  
I shrugged. "He shouldn't have been playing games on my time. He knows better."  
  
Mokuba shook his head. "Getting mad at your employees won't heal the hole in your heart, big brother. They're not the ones you should be trying to get comfort from."  
  
I laughed bitterly. "Okay, wise guy, who am I supposed to go talk to then? I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have anyone anymore," I said.  
  
"Yugi cares."  
  
I chuckled. I couldn't help myself.  
  
"So you've become an expert in these matters in the seven days you've been dead?" I asked, bitterness and anger lacing my tone. I cleared my throat, determined not to break down anymore.  
  
*Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
  
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me*  
  
"He knows about me, Seto. I saw him crying at my gravesite earlier today. I know how you feel about him. I always knew."  
  
I rested my forehead against the cool wall of the elevator. I was so tired. I was tired of being in control; I was tried of pretending that everything was okay. A ghostly hand came into view and I shivered as coldness seeped into my skin. Mokuba's hand hovered over mine, but did not touch it.  
  
"What's the point in talking to Yugi? He'll never, ever feel the same way about me. He would never go against his friends," I said, spelling out for the first time the real reason I stayed away from Yugi, the reason I hated him and loved him at the same time. His friends hated me. Hell, Yami hated me. Even if Yugi had ever seen me as anything other than an annoying nuisance, he wouldn't risk alienating his friends and the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle to explore those feelings.  
  
"How do you know that unless you ask?"  
  
I shook my head and straightened my rumpled clothes.  
  
"I'm through feeling for anyone Mokuba. I don't want to ever feel this lost and alone again."  
  
*These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time can not erase*  
  
**~~**  
  
*When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you screamed I'd fight away all of your fears  
  
I held your hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me*  
  
I had to get out of Kaiba Corporation before I made a fool out of myself. Whatever control I'd achieved in the elevator was threatening to crumble around me, and I had to get to the safety of my car before anyone saw me lose it. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going; my only concern was getting to the front door and out into the sunlight. I walked as fast as I could without actually running, my head lowered, so I didn't see the man standing directly in my path until I had bumped into him. The force of the collision was not great, but I was so agitated that I was caught off balance and landed on my rear. My briefcase flew out of my hand and ended up on someone else's feet. My only saving grace was that the man I had bumped into landed on his rear as well.  
  
I got up and dusted off my clothes. I turned to see if the man I'd knocked down was okay, but a woman's gasp caught my attention. She was looking at me, her finger pointing at my face and then my chest.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked. "What happened to you?"  
  
I didn't recognize the woman and didn't think she worked for Kaiba Corp. Her dramatics had drawn the attention of several people, who were now looking at me. I looked down at my blood stained uniform jacket, for the first time remembering the fight with Joey. I had meant to go to my office to get one of my trench coats but had completely forgotten. It was a wonder that none of the programmers had said anything. Then again, they knew better.  
  
"It's none of your business, now if you'll excuse me."  
  
"Not so fast, Mr. Kaiba. My wife and I are here to talk to you."  
  
I glanced back at the woman and saw the man I'd knocked down standing next to her. There was something familiar about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  
  
"Right now is not a good time. Call my secretary and make an appointment," I said. I started to turn away, but the man's hand on my arm stopped me. I whirled around, glared at him, and yanked my arm out of his grasp. "Don't touch me."  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, I know that you're going through a difficult time right now," the woman said, "one look at you tells me that much, but if you're going to sue us, we'd like to be prepared."  
  
"Why would I want to sue you?" I asked, genuinely confused.  
  
The two of them looked from one to the other, until the man spoke.  
  
"Our son told us that he didn't mean to push your brother off the bar, and we believe him. However, we know about your reputation as a ruthless businessman, and since we're dealing with the death of your brother, we're afraid that you're going to retaliate and sue my son."  
  
I stood gaping at the man, the blood in my veins turning to ice. I felt numb, completely and utterly without feeling. My mouth moved, but it took a full five minutes to form words.  
  
"I just buried my little brother, and you're worried about me suing you?" I asked in disbelief at the stupidity of these people. "Why would I?" I yelled. "You have nothing I want. Suing you won't turn back time, it won't bring my little brother back from the dead, so why would I waste my time?"  
  
When I was finished, almost everyone in the lobby was staring at me, their mouths hanging open. I was shaking, my breath coming in quick pants. Tears blurred my vision, and I knew that if one fell, I would not be able to stop the rest. I turned away from them, desperately looking for my briefcase. I found it in the hands of the man I had just fired. He held it out to me, a look of pity on his face. I dashed out of the building as if the devil himself were chasing after me.  
  
I didn't bother to go to the garage to get my car. I wanted to be as far away from the building as I possibly could. I ran as if my life depended on it, dashing across intersections without waiting to see if it was safe to cross. Cars honked at me, and I wished they would run me over and put me out of my misery. A few came close, but none actually hit me. I ran and ran, not knowing where I was going, just wanting to feel the wind on my face, wanting to concentrate on anything other than the crushing weight of my grief. I'd been pretending that everything was okay, that I was okay and could move on, could deal with my brother's death like I dealt with everything else: calmly and quickly. The sad truth was that I was anything but okay. I was falling apart. My brother's death was going to eat me up inside little by little and I was unwilling to do anything about it.  
  
I collapsed halfway to my house in front of a little park. I fell to my knees, the dull thud of my briefcase hitting the concrete barely registering. I was sobbing uncontrollably, barely able to catch my breath. I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling the dull pain slowly consuming me.  
  
"I can't do this anymore," I whispered between sobs. "Oh, God, I can't do this. Mokuba was everything to me; I don't know how to be without him."  
  
* I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
  
But though you're still with me  
  
I've been alone all along*  
  
A pair of arms wrapped around me, and for a moment I thought it was my brother's spirit wanting to comfort me. I turned my head and found a tear filled pair of violet eyes looking at me over my shoulder. Yugi smiled, as much as he could with his swollen lips, but the genuine sympathy in his eyes was enough to make me cry harder. I knew I should stop crying, that Yugi would think I was a wimp if I didn't, but I couldn't stop.  
  
"Let it out, Kaiba, let it out."  
  
Yugi walked around so that he was kneeling in front of me and wrapped me in his arms. I clung to him, as if I were clinging to a life preserver in the middle of an angry ocean. At that moment, Yugi was the only thing keeping me from sinking into the black hole of my own grief. He rubbed my back and whispered something I couldn't understand in my ear. I didn't care what he said; all I cared about was that his voice was grounding me to the present, pulling me out of the hole.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, Yugi stood me up. He picked up my briefcase and led me towards a still running car parked on the street. I let him push me into the passenger's seat, and it wasn't until he got in behind the wheel that I realized I was sitting in my car, the one I'd left at Kaiba Corp.  
  
"How'd you get my car?" I asked. I had the keys in my pocket, so there was no way Yugi could be driving it.  
  
Yugi had the decency to look ashamed as he put on his seat belt and put the car in gear.  
  
"I was going to Kaiba Corp. to talk to you. I saw you drive by on the way there, and by the time I got there, I saw you rush out," Yugi explained. "I knew I'd never catch you on foot, so I borrowed the car."  
  
I wiped the tears with my sleeve as Yugi pulled out into the afternoon traffic. I didn't even know he could drive, and to see him doing it surprised me. My car was not the easiest to handle, which is why I liked it, but Yugi was having no trouble with it.  
  
"I have the keys," I said, even as I noticed that there was no key in the ignition.  
  
Yugi chuckled. "Joey taught me how to hot wire a car a few years ago. I'll rewire it when we get to your house."  
  
Once we reached the mansion, I had to lean out of the driver's side window so that the security system could identify my voice. In doing so, I got really close to Yugi. My hand brushed his legs as I tried to find leverage, and I heard a slight gasp from him. I filed it away for later analysis as Yugi drove to my front door. He leaned down and messed with some of the wiring underneath the steering wheel, and the engine shut off. I got out of the car and waited for him to do the same.  
  
"You should come in, Yugi. We have some things to talk about," I said.  
  
Yugi looked panicked for a moment, before his features smoothed out into a mask of calmness.  
  
"Like what?" he asked.  
  
I gestured to my blood stained uniform, his blood stained uniform, and then his face.  
  
"About what happened this morning at school," I said.  
  
Yugi nodded. "We have to talk about Mokuba too."  
  
With difficulty, I nodded. "Yes, we have to talk about him too."  
  
We made our way into the house, and I led Yugi up to my office. I hesitated a moment, before changing my mind and leading him to my room instead. He seemed puzzled, but followed anyway.  
  
"I want to change out of the uniform and figured you'd want to do the same. I'll get a shirt for you and you can change in Mokuba's room," I explained, pointing to the door a few feet away from my room.  
  
"Okay," was all Yugi said.  
  
I got him one of my tee shirts before getting any clothes for myself. The shirt would be a little long for him, but it was better than what he was wearing now. He thanked me and quickly made his way to Mokuba's room.  
  
"What the hell am I doing?" I asked as I closed the door to my room.  
  
I went into the closet and changed into a pair of slacks and a black turtleneck. I left the bloody clothes in a bundle on the floor for the maid to pick up later. I was not going to touch those again. I leaned against the door and wondered why I'd brought Yugi to my house. What was I thinking? I was already a mess from my little breakdown in the park, and I wasn't any better now. How was I going to talk to him?  
  
"Be yourself, Seto," Mokuba said from my bed. "Just be you, don't pretend to be the cold hearted CEO that everyone expects you to be. Yugi wants to help, let him."  
  
Looking at my brother's spirit, I had a feeling I'd been set up.  
  
"You had something to do with this, didn't you?"  
  
Mokuba shrugged. "I may have gone to talk to Yugi, given him a push in your direction."  
  
My eyes widened. "He can see you?"  
  
Mokuba laughed. "Seto, he talks to the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, who has been dead a lot longer than I have. Why wouldn't he be able to see me?"  
  
I sighed. He had a point.  
  
"So you made him come and talk to me?" I asked.  
  
"He wouldn't be here if he didn't want to be, Seto. Don't be so hard headed."  
  
I sighed again.  
  
"Go talk to him," Mokuba said and disappeared.  
  
"Go talk to him, easy for you to say," I grumbled but left my room.  
  
I stood in the hall outside Mokuba's room for a long time, willing myself to go in there. Finally, I took a deep breath and went inside. The room was exactly the same as it had been the last time Mokuba was in it. The various toys and games had not been disturbed. Mokuba's backpack had been picked up from where I'd dropped it the day of his death and put on the desk at the far side of the room.  
  
Yugi was sitting on the bed, watching me. The shirt I'd let him borrow had been tucked into his uniform pants, making him look a bit bigger than he was.  
  
"I'm sorry for hitting you," I said, pointing at his face. "How much damage was there?"  
  
Yugi shrugged as he got to his feet. "You knocked out a tooth, but nothing more."  
  
I mulled that over. I knocked out a tooth? I couldn't even remember hitting him.  
  
"How's the mutt?"  
  
Yugi's eyes clouded over for a moment at the mention of Wheeler.  
  
"He had to have his mouth wired shut so the jaw could heal. His nose was broken and will probably be crooked for the rest of his life."  
  
I looked away from Yugi as he told me that. Was that remorse I felt for what I'd done to the mutt? It couldn't be, could it?  
  
"He didn't know about Mokuba, Kaiba. You shouldn't have reacted the way you did," Yugi said.  
  
"He hit me first," I volleyed.  
  
"He throws punches at you all the time. You've never broken his jaw before."  
  
I sighed. Yugi always sounded so reasonable. "I'll pay for his medical bills."  
  
Yugi nodded. "That'd be nice, since his family can't afford the extra expense."  
  
I walked over to Yugi and sat him on the bed. I took a seat beside him and faced him.  
  
"Is that why you came, to ask that I pay for Wheeler's medical bills?" I asked, my voice sounding harsher than I intended. I saw hurt cross through Yugi's eyes, before it went away.  
  
"Partly, yes. I also thought you'd need someone to talk to about Mokuba. I'm so sorry about what happened. It was a stupid accident."  
  
"How did you find out? I didn't tell anyone."  
  
"One of our customers was in the playground that day with his son. He told us about it."  
  
We were both silent for a while, until he spoke.  
  
"You don't have to do this alone, Kaiba. I want to help you."  
  
The look on his face was so open and loving that for a moment, I thought he felt for me what I felt for him. I put my hand on his uninjured cheek, leaned down and pressed my lips gingerly to his. When Yugi didn't respond, I pulled away and stood up, my back to him. He hadn't returned the kiss. I felt as if the hole that had almost swallowed me up earlier had opened again and was waiting to suck me in. I was so stupid to think that he could ever. . .  
  
"Look at me, Kaiba."  
  
I shook my head. I couldn't look at him. I didn't think I could stand the look of disgust on his face. I felt his hand on my arm and finally turned to face him. There was no disgust on his face. Instead, there was a smile gracing the uninjured corner of his mouth.  
  
"I didn't return the kiss because it caught me by surprise and because my lips really hurt, not because I didn't want to."  
  
It took me a while to process what he'd said and when I did, my face broke out into a smile. "Really?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "We're so different that I never though you would want anything to do with me, not to mention that you always treat me like dirt. That's why I was so surprised when you kissed me. It was nice, though. I enjoyed it."  
  
I took a breath and released it, feeling a sliver of hope for the first time in a long time.  
  
"Why don't you stay for dinner? We can talk more then."  
  
Yugi nodded. Behind Yugi, I could see Mokuba grinning.  
  
"Why don't you go talk to the cook, tell her what you want to eat. I'll catch up to you."  
  
Yugi nodded again and left Mokuba's room.  
  
"It didn't hurt to ask, did it?" Mokuba said.  
  
"No it didn't."  
  
Mokuba walked up to me, his transparent appearance glowing.  
  
"I have to go now, Seto. I've done what I stayed to do."  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked, but I knew what he meant. I just didn't want to let him go, even though he was already dead.  
  
"I asked to stay long enough to make sure you'd survive, and I think you'll be okay now."  
  
I kneeled so I was face to face with him, and he put one of his ghostly hands on my tear stained cheek.  
  
"I love you, Seto. You are my hero, my loving older brother, and I'll never forget you. Thank you for what you did for me, for giving me a life worth living, even at the cost of your own." Mokuba put his other hand over my heart. "I'll always be here, Seto. I'll live as long as you remember me."  
  
My breath caught in my throat. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I could voice none of them.  
  
"I love you too, Mokuba," was all I could say.  
  
He nodded, as if I were stating the obvious. "I'll be fine. I'll have mom and dad to look out for me."  
  
As if on cue, two other presences, two adults, appeared beside Mokuba. It took me a while to recognize them, but I found myself starting at my mother and father. They came closer, and each put a hand on one of my shoulders.  
  
"We are very proud of you, son," my father said. "We have always been."  
  
"We'll be looking out for you, Seto," my mother added, smiling. "You'll never be alone."  
  
I wanted to say something, tell them I loved them too, but I couldn't form any words.  
  
"This is my last goodbye, Seto. I love you, and I know that Yugi loves you too. Live your life to the fullest and we'll be waiting for you when your time comes," Mokuba said as he, along with my parents, slowly disappeared.  
  
I watched them go, the image of my brother and my parents forever burned into my mind. I let myself cry then, like I hadn't done since I'd lost my parents. I cried for them, for my brother, and cried for myself, until my tears had been spent.  
  
*When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
  
I held your hand for all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me*  
  
When I could, I stood up. I took one more look around Mokuba's room, knowing that I wouldn't be in here again for a very long time. I closed the door behind me and could barely make out Yugi talking to the cook downstairs. I took a deep breath and headed down the stairs to start the first day of the rest of my life.  
  
**~~**  
  
*pokes head out from under desk* I always hide when I write something new. This is my first story with any hints at slash, so I hope it didn't totally suck, and I hope you enjoyed it. 


	2. Stumbling

Greetings!  
  
I've read many a slash story in my time reading fanfics, but I'd never tried my hand at writing one. When the opportunity to write Last Goodbye came up, I wanted to try it and see how it turned out. I was satisfied with the results, and wanted to explore it a little more, which is why I decided to continue this story. I don't normally write romances of any kind, much less slash, but I wanted to try something new.  
  
Also, I started this story with the first person point of view. I usually use third person, because it allows the author to get into all of the character's heads, and is much more useful. First person has its own advantages, so I'm going to stick with it. I will try not to change whose point of view is being used (right now it's Kaiba's), because as a reader, I find it rather annoying and confusing when an author does that. However, it may become necessary at some point in the story, so I'm not ruling it out.  
  
Summary (since I promised a better one): A budding relationship turns into a fight for survival and a trip into a future no one could have predicted.  
  
There, how's that? Hopefully, it'll be interesting enough.  
  
Reviews:  
  
Mistletou: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the story.  
  
Dagger5: Thanks for the review!  
  
Mimiheart: Sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry. I have to admit that the last part of it made me cry too, but when I find stuff sad, no one else does, so I thought nothing of it. I think both Yugi and Kaiba are bound to be OOC in this particular situation, but it's kind of fun to play with it. I'm glad you liked the story, though!  
  
Kirbie: I'm normally not fond of killing anyone off, but it was necessary for this story. I miss the little guy already, though.  
  
Midnight Star: Thanks for suggesting that I continue it. I thought about the suggestion and it got me thinking of possible plots, so here I am, continuing it. Glad that you liked it.  
  
Raiji: Violent Kaiba is pretty creepy, isn't he? I doubt that he's ever been so ruthless in the anime or manga. He does have a sharp tongue, but it's never translated to physical violence. I had fun with it, though. Thanks!  
  
Adrienne: That's right, you're not fond of Kaiba/Yugi, are you? Thanks for checking out the story anyway! I don't think I could write Kaiba/Joey, though. There have been so many awesome stories written for that pair (Being Dead Ain't Easy is only one of them) that mine would pale in comparison. I don't usually write stuff like this. . . tragedy, slash, romance of any kind, but maybe it'll do me some good. Now if I can only pull off writing a humor fic, my life will be complete.  
  
Vappa: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, even though it's not a one shot anymore. I hadn't realized how many fics had been written to My Immortal until after I'd submitted it to the contest. If I had, I probably would have picked another song. You're right, most of the ones I found were for Yami/Hikari pairings. Personally, I didn't see that in this song. Bring Me to Life is more like that for me. But anyway, thanks for checking out the fic!  
  
Katya Motou: Yup, I know that Kaiba/Yugi isn't written very often, at least not without Yami in the middle, which is why it's attractive to me. I don't know, something about opposites attract, I guess. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Moonlight Shadow: Thanks for giving the story a shot, even if it's not what you would normally read. I'm glad you enjoyed it.  
  
Sophia and Sophie: Thank you for the encouragement. I hope that you continue to read the story now that it's being continued. I'm not sure about writing any more slash pieces. I guess I'll have to wait and see how this one goes.  
  
Sorceress Vanessa: Thanks for reviewing and reading, even if this isn't normally what you would read. I'm glad you enjoyed it.  
  
Hobbit13: Yeah, I most definitely have a melancholy muse. I don't know what's wrong with him. I think he reads way too many angst fics and watches way too many dramatic movies. Believe me, I feel strange writing Kaiba and Yugi, but I figured it'd be a nice change of pace. No Kinen Ni got me on the slash track with the way it was turning out, so I figured I'd actually write one and see what it was like. So far so good. then again, if everyone hates it, it won't be so good.  
  
S.K Hashmi: Yes, it made sense. Thank you very much for your kind words. I'm happy that you enjoyed the story, despite the slash.  
  
Again, thank you very much for all your reviews. Here's hoping that the story doesn't suck!  
  
**~~**  
  
Chapter 2: Stumbling  
  
"It doesn't really matter to me, Kumiko, make what you would normally make."  
  
I stopped just a few feet shy of the entrance to the kitchen, and couldn't help but smile. That was just like Yugi, unwilling to give even the cook orders.  
  
"Mr. Moto, if Mr. Kaiba sent you down to tell me what to prepare for dinner, you must tell me."  
  
Silence ruled for a few moments, until Yugi sighed in defeat.  
  
"Okay, what does Kaiba usually eat?"  
  
Kumiko took her time in replying. "Mr. Kaiba usually eats whatever I prepare for Mokuba. Young Mokuba was the one who would usually tell me what to make, unless Mr. Kaiba had a business dinner at the house, then he would instruct me himself."  
  
My heart sped up at that simple statement. Kumiko was right: dinner was usually decided by whatever Mokuba felt like eating that day. I hadn't realized that until now, when Mokuba was no longer around to decide. The pain tightened around my heart once again at the loss of my brother. There were so many things I was going to have to get used to once again.  
  
Yugi sighed again, and I heard the sadness in the exhalation. "Can you make some Ramen, then? I doubt Kaiba is going to be eating very much tonight, and that'll be something simple enough for him to digest."  
  
"I assume you'll be staying, Mr. Moto?" Kumiko asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Very well. If you'd like to wait in the living room, I'll bring you and Mr. Kaiba refreshments before I get started on dinner."  
  
I stood there, listening to the sound of Kumiko's footsteps move further into the kitchen, unable to move. I thought about going inside before Yugi left the kitchen and found me eavesdropping, but couldn't get my legs to move.  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
Yugi's soft voice snapped me out of my musings. He stood in front of me, his eyebrows raised in confusion.  
  
"I came to see if you'd found Kumiko," I said dumbly. Why did I feel so nervous all of a sudden?  
  
"Yeah, I found her. Is Ramen okay for dinner?"  
  
I nodded. "I'm not really hungry, so whatever you want is fine."  
  
Yugi nodded and shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. "That's what I thought. You should eat something, though. You probably haven't eaten much in the last few days."  
  
I thought about that, realizing that I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten something. I shrugged, not really caring about food at that moment. I was beginning to doubt my decision to let Yugi stay for dinner. Not that I didn't want to spend the time alone with him, I just didn't want him to feel obligated to stay out of pity for me. I didn't feel like being social, and was afraid I'd end up taking it out on him.  
  
"Mr. Moto, Mr. Kaiba, would you like me to take your refreshments to the living room or somewhere else?" Kumiko asked them.  
  
"Take them to the den, Kumiko. We'll be there shortly," I told her, then turned my attention to Yugi. "You should probably call your grandfather. I'm sure he's getting worried that you're not home yet."  
  
Yugi had stopped shifting nervously and now had a blank look on his face. He was staring in my direction but wasn't really looking at me. I panicked for a moment, until I realized that he was talking to Yami. I watched him, wondering what was going on in his head. He looked strange, lifeless. An image of Mokuba without his soul suddenly popped into my head, and I had to wrench myself out of the memory before it could lead me down paths I didn't want to visit while Yugi was with me. Yugi looked a bit like that, though, like he'd lost what animated him.  
  
Suddenly, Yugi snapped out of it. When he realized I was looking at him, he smiled sheepishly and tried to hide the guilty expression on his face.  
  
"So what does Yami have to say? Is he telling you to get out of here before I do to you what I did to the mutt?" I asked, my voice sounding bitter and a lot crueler than I intended.  
  
Yugi flinched at my tone, but it was too late for me to take it back. He averted his eyes, and I felt uncharacteristic guilt at what I'd said.  
  
"Come, let's go to the den so you can use the phone, unless you're going to leave now," I said, my tone still bitter.  
  
"Are you kicking me out of your house?" Yugi asked, his expression one of confusion.  
  
"Didn't Yami just tell you to leave?"  
  
Yugi shook his head. The action must have caused him some discomfort, because he winced and gingerly touched the side of his face.  
  
"Yami is free to express his opinions, but this is still my body and my life, and I get to decide what I want to do," Yugi said finally, still not looking at me.  
  
I thought about the phrasing of what he'd said, noting how neutral it was. If there was anything Yugi was good at, it was sparing other's feelings. What had Yami really said to Yugi during their 'talk'? I had a feeling I didn't want to find out.  
  
I led the way to the den, where Kumiko had lemonade waiting for us. I took the two glasses and handed Yugi one, before pointing him towards the phone. He took a small sip of the lemonade, and winced as soon as the liquid touched his lips. I took a sip of my own, wondering if it was bad enough to have gotten that reaction out of Yugi. The lemonade was cool and sweet, not cringe worthy at all. It was then that the events of the morning came rushing back to me, and I realized that lemonade on split and bruised lips would be rather painful. I took Yugi's glass and went back to the kitchen to replace the lemonade with cool water, the whole time feeling like a fool for not remembering that Yugi was injured, and then feeling guilty because I had caused the injury. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster, my emotions all over the place. It was unlike me to be so emotional, and I wondered what I needed to do to get it all to stop, to return to my normal detachment and calmness. Getting Yugi out of the house would be a good start, but I didn't want to do that.  
  
When I got back to the den, Yugi had finished his conversation and was standing by the phone. He was looking around the room, his entire body tense. What could he be thinking? Was he really that afraid of me or of what I might do to him? I handed him the glass of water and motioned for him to sit down, wanting to ask if he was okay, but refraining from doing so because it wasn't something I'd do.  
  
"I forgot about the injury. I should have had Kumiko make something else."  
  
Yugi sat opposite me and shrugged. "Its okay, Kaiba."  
  
We sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. I wasn't sure what to do, and it bugged me because it wasn't like me. I always knew what to do and how to do it. I had always dealt with Yugi the same way I dealt with anyone else: I pushed him away. I treated him badly and got him angry at me. That worked, because it kept him away, kept him from looking too deep into my mind and my soul, kept him from seeing the real me. Now that I'd somewhat confessed how I felt about him, I shouldn't feel this nervous. I was in my own home; I had the upper hand. Seeing him sitting on the couch, eyes darting every which way but in my direction, I couldn't help but wonder if I shouldn't have kept my feelings to myself, despite Mokuba's intentions.  
  
"Did you grandfather have any problem with you staying for dinner?" I finally asked to break the silence.  
  
"No," Yugi replied. "He just told me to be careful on my way home, since it'd be dark by then."  
  
"I'll have my driver take you home."  
  
Silence ruled over us once again, until I couldn't take it any longer.  
  
"Yugi. . ."  
  
"Kaiba. . ."  
  
We stared at each other, embarrassed that we'd both spoken at the same time. I gestured for him to speak first. He was the guest, after all.  
  
"Why didn't you tell any of us about Mokuba?"  
  
The question caught me off guard, and for a moment I just stared at him. Mokuba's last words to me came to mind, and I closed my eyes to keep Yugi from seeing the tears that had already pooled there. When I was sure I had my control wrapped around me again, I looked at him.  
  
"Why should I have told any of you? It's not like we were close or anything. Why would any of you have cared about me or my brother?"  
  
Yugi seemed confused by my answer. He narrowed his eyes, but did not remove his gaze from mine. He opened his mouth to reply, closed it, and then opened it again. Frowning, his gaze glazed over for a moment, before it returned to regard me.  
  
"I never considered you an enemy, Kaiba, even after. . ."  
  
Yugi trailed off, but I knew what he was referring to. Deep down, I regretted what I'd done to his grandfather, and to him, but I would not admit it to him.  
  
"Never mind, Kaiba. I just wish that you'd let us help you once in a while. We don't hate you, even if that's what you think."  
  
I couldn't help but laugh at that. Yugi was forever the optimist, which made me wonder why he was here with me, why he seemed to return my feelings. How could he still be interested after everything that had happened between us, everything I'd said to him? I shook my head to clear the idiotic thoughts from my head. I had never lingered on regrets and wasn't about to start now.  
  
"I don't really care how you all see me, Yugi. I've spent my life doing what I could to survive, to provide a good life for my brother. . ." I trailed off and wondered if I was ever going to be able to think or speak of my brother without feeling as if my heart was being ripped in half. "I have no regrets."  
  
Yugi nodded, his eyes dulled, a sadness crossing them for the briefest of seconds. I wondered whether he was sad for me, or for himself.  
  
"What about me, then? Did you mean what you said while we were in Mokuba's room, or was that just the grief talking?"  
  
Anger rose in me quickly, like a boiling pot, and it took everything I had not to lash out at him. There was no malice in his tone, however, nor in his facial expression. I had to take a moment to calm down before I could reply without snarling.  
  
"What makes you ask that? Do you doubt my sincerity?"  
  
Yugi sighed and plopped down on one of the sofas. He ran a hand through his hair, more out of nervousness than anything else.  
  
"You just said that you could care less what we think of you, Kaiba. Am I included in that statement? If you don't care about what I think of you, than why am I here? What was that kiss about?"  
  
I pinched the bridge of my nose, a headache suddenly coming on. I wanted to go sit next to Yugi, feel his comforting presence beside me, and then cursed myself for that desire. I settled for sitting on the sofa directly across from him.  
  
"I meant what I said, Yugi. But I have to wonder about how committed you are to making this work," I said, pointing to the two of us. "Do we do something about what we both confessed upstairs, or do we pretend it never happened and keep on going the way we were going?"  
  
I sounded strange to my own ears. I was never this weak, this insecure. My life after my parent's death had been dictated by a desire to survive, which had honed very acute instincts in me. I never hesitated or lost my resolve, because that would mean disaster for my brother and me. What was different now? Was Mokuba's death taking that certainty away from me? Now that I had no one to live for, no one to stride for except myself, had I lost my convictions, my self assurance? Why was I so nervous now, hoping for Yugi's approval and at the same time, cursing myself for daring to hope?  
  
"I don't want to pretend it never happened, Kaiba. If you're willing to give it a try, I am too."  
  
"What about your friends? What about Yami?" I asked, my voice bitter despite my efforts at making it sound neutral.  
  
I didn't want Yugi to know how important this was to me, how much I wanted it to work. Knowing would give him the power to hurt me, and I was unwilling to give him that much hold over me. I'd survived by pretending that nothing hurt, by hiding my sadness and disappointment behind anger and indifference, and this was no different. If Yugi didn't know how much this meant to me or how much I wanted it, he couldn't hurt me by taking it away.  
  
"What about them? They're not a part of this?"  
  
"Yes, they are, Yugi. What are you going to tell them when they start seeing you with me? Are you going to tell them anything at all? They already hate me, so I could care less what they think of seeing me with you. You, on the other hand, don't have that luxury. Unless, of course, you plan to hide whatever happens between us from them."  
  
Yugi shook his head, but didn't reply to my questions right away. He looked away, examining the floor while he thought it over. I saw the conflict in his eyes before he looked away and knew that he didn't know what he was going to do any more than I did. He took a deep breath and released it. When he looked at me, his face was set and determination glowed in his eyes.  
  
"I'm not going to lie to you, Kaiba, because it would be unfair to you. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm not going to hide. I won't do that to you, because I have a feeling that you've spent most of your life expecting people to put you last, to use you and then throw you away. You deserve more than that from me. All I can say is that I will deal with the situation as it comes up. I can't promise more than that."  
  
At least he had been honest, even if it wasn't the answer I'd hoped for. It would have to do for now.  
  
"So where do we go from here?" I asked.  
  
Yugi smiled. "I suppose dinner would be a good start."  
  
**~~**  
  
I watched as Yugi entered the game shop from the safety of my car. It was dark outside and I had driven him back home myself instead of sending the driver. We had spent a comfortable time at dinner, talking about mundane things, nothing very important. After our conversation in my den, we needed something to liven up the mood.  
  
At the door to the game shop, Solomon Moto poked his head out and glared at me. He stood at the door for a few minutes, glaring, until Yugi poked his head out, smiled apologetically at me, and then pulled his grandfather inside. I chuckled, imagining what Mr. Moto was going to say to Yugi because I'd dropped him off, and because of the late hour. I doubted Yugi stayed out late too often, especially on a school night.  
  
Shaking my head, I put the car in gear and maneuvered it onto the main road. I had intended to go home, but ended up in front of Domino Hospital instead. I had a bit of business to take care of, and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to do it. Besides, it was late and most visitors would be long gone from the hospital, allowing me to do what I needed to do without the risk of being seen.  
  
Once inside the hospital, I inquired about the location of Joey Wheeler's room. The nurse that I spoke to at first refused to give me any information, until I spoke to her superior and made him understand who I was and what my company meant for the financial stability of the hospital. I had no trouble getting the information that I wanted after that. I took the elevator up to the fifth floor, where Wheeler had been kept overnight for observation. As I reached his room, I slowed. I shouldn't be here. I felt no remorse for what I'd done to Wheeler, because he'd brought it upon himself. He should have known better than to attack me. However, I told Yugi that I'd pay for Wheeler's hospital bills, and I was not about to go back on my word.  
  
I peeked into the room through the small window, and confirmed that the room was empty except for Wheeler. I hoped that he was asleep, because I wasn't about to waste my time explaining my presence to the younger teen. I pushed open the door and paused, waiting for a reaction. None came. Wheeler continued to sleep peacefully on the bed. I walked in the rest of the way and picked up the medical chart at the foot of the bed. I read it, already knowing what I was going to find.  
  
Wheeler's jaw had been broken in two places. His top and bottom teeth had been wired together on both sides of his mouth to prevent jaw movement and promote healing. He'd been given a sedative, which explained his unconscious state now. He was going to be released tomorrow, so his condition wasn't too serious. His jaw would be wired shut for a few weeks, and then he'd be back to normal. I closed the chart and looked at him, noting the swelling on the lower half of his face. It extended all the way up to his nose, which had been broken as well. The doctors had already set it, because the nose was no longer crooked.  
  
I didn't remember doing this to him. That frightened me, because I should remember hitting him with enough force to have broken bone. I was so blinded by hatred, anger, and despair that I'd lashed out with the intent to harm, and harm I'd done. I hadn't even realized he was the one I was fighting, until I'd been subdued. I had completely lost control like I hadn't before in my life.  
  
What did that say about me? I was capable of violence, which was no surprise to me. I hadn't survived the life I'd had by being a pacifist or a pushover. I'd had my moments of passiveness with my adoptive father, of course, but those years had only driven the point more clearly into my head. Weakness got you killed and only the strong survived. The enemy had to be conquered at all costs, right?  
  
I frowned. Wheeler wasn't my enemy. He never had been. Yes, he was annoying, a pain in the butt, and a third rate duelist, but I'd never entertained any thoughts about harming him in any way. I had no reason to, because he'd never done anything to me other than annoy me and call me names. The few times he'd tried to fight me, I'd easily subdued him because I knew that he'd never win in a fair fight. He didn't have the training I had, so it'd be a pointless battle. I'd managed to lose that sense of logic for one moment, and I'd done more than enough damage.  
  
I looked at his swollen face once more before putting the chart back at the foot of the bed and rushing out of the room. It was done. I couldn't do anything about it now except for what I'd told Yugi I'd do. I walked quickly to the elevator and made my way back.  
  
Halfway to my destination, I realized I'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. I was on the first floor, but I couldn't find the nurse I'd passed on my way in. I continued walking down the corridor I was on, and it wasn't until I had gone through a set of doors that I realized I was in the Emergency Room. People bustled about, doctors came in and out of examination rooms, while patients wailed and screamed their agony.  
  
I stopped, rooted to my spot, when I noticed a familiar row of plastic chairs in front of me. Beside the chairs was the room Mokuba had been brought to the day of the accident. Before I could stop it, the memory of that day had completely engulfed my mind.  
  
****  
  
My hands were red. My coat, my arms, my chest, they were all red. The color nauseated me, made me dizzy and unbalanced. My white coat just brought out the color more, made it unbearably bright. I closed my eyes, willing the horrible vision to disappear, but when I opened them, the coat was still stained with red.  
  
Growling, I tore the coat off my body. I rolled it up into a tight ball and stuffed it into the nearest trashcan. My now empty hands were still covered with blood. I rubbed them on my black slacks, but the blood wouldn't completely go away. Patches of it still clung to my skin and no matter how hard I tried to wipe it off, it wouldn't go away. I paced the spot in front of the room my brother had been taken into, but no amount of movement calmed my beating heart.  
  
I could see it over and over, hear myself telling Mokuba that I was late, and see the guilty expression on his face, before a look of panic had replaced it. I could still hear the sound of bone hitting metal, the sound of his limp body hitting the ground. I could still see his blood slowly staining my coat.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
I turned around to find a short, older man staring at me.  
  
"I'm Dr. Honda, I was in charge of your brother's care." The man paused and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry, but there was nothing we could do. Your brother's neck was broken in the fall, and the skull fracture caused bone fragments to be embedded in his brain. He was dead on arrival."  
  
I looked at the doctor, feeling nothing but numbness envelop me. He said something else to me, but I didn't hear him. The only thing on my mind was that Mokuba was dead.  
  
****  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, are you alright?"  
  
I blinked and found the same doctor that had seen Mokuba that day standing in front of me now.  
  
"Dr. Honda?"  
  
"Is there something I can do for you?"  
  
I shook my head. "No, I ended up here by mistake," I said, grateful that my voice didn't crack. I sounded normal, in control, and was very grateful for that.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes, just fine. I think I took a wrong turn at the elevator, so I'll just make my way back there."  
  
I left the man standing there, staring after me, and retraced my steps back through the doors and to the elevator. I was shaking. I stopped, put my hands on the wall beside me and took deep breaths to calm down. When I was as calm as I was going to get, I went in the opposite direction and soon found myself standing in front of the nurse I'd talked to earlier.  
  
"Excuse me; I'd like to settle a hospital bill for a current patient."  
  
The lady looked up from her monitor and here eyes widened when she saw me.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba? Whose bill would you like to settle?"  
  
"Joseph Wheeler, room 515."  
  
The woman typed the information into her keyboard as I pulled out my checkbook. She printed out an invoice and handed it to me. I looked it over, saw everything that had been done to repair the damage I'd caused, and wrote a check for the total amount due. The sum was substantial, but it wasn't much to me. Money was just money, after all. The Wheeler's didn't have this kind of money, which is why Yugi had asked me to pay the bill. I handed the woman both the invoice and the check.  
  
"Would you like a receipt?"  
  
I shook my head. "No, just make sure this is taken care of. If there are any more charges added before Wheeler is released tomorrow, bill me for the difference."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
I walked away from her and went outside. It was time to go home.  
  
**~~**  
  
Is it me, or was this incredibly cheesy? Sigh. . . oh, well, what's done is done. The plot is now in my head and refuses to go away, so those of you who decide to stick with this will have more coming up ^__^ Until next time! 


	3. Scheming

Greetings! Two updates in two weeks... that's got to be a record for me lately. I had a little free time today so I thought I'd write a bit. I'm very happy with the response to this story, since I wasn't too sure about it from the beginning. I find myself a little more eager and less nervous about writing it.  
  
Reviews:  
  
Mistletou: Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it.  
  
Kirbie: Yikes... I can't believe your science teacher would actually go into that much detail about that. The choking thing is, of course, a possibility, but from the research I did into it before writing it, it's a very slight one. It is a rather painful procedure, but necessary for the bones to heal properly. Thanks for the review!  
  
Mimiheart: Thanks! I'm really enjoying Kaiba in this one.  
  
Katya Motou: I enjoy a good Kaiba/Yami/Yugi fic along with the rest of them, but I've always been a lot more partial to Kaiba/Yugi, simply because they're such opposites. Let's hope I can do it justice. Thanks!  
  
Amiasha Ruri: Thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. The plot will pick up a bit later (this next chapter, actually) so there'll be some action soon. And more Seto torture, of course.  
  
Yami White Rain: I'm so sorry I made you cry, but I'm glad you liked the story anyway.  
  
Raiji Magiwind: Thank you very much for the compliment! It means a lot to me. I always like writing the characters different, especially when they're so 2 dimensional on the tv. I've always liked Seto because of the way he is in the anime. Yeah, he's definitely edgier in the manga, which is cool. I wish they'd base the animation more on that.  
  
Hobbit13: Thanks for staying! You're right, I do tend to do little plot twists here and there once in a while, and believe me, this one is not going to be any different *chuckles manically* Kaiba does have a lot of problems, and the relationship is definitely not what you'd usually expect, but then again, these two are hardly ordinary people.  
  
BeautyBabe: Thank you very much!  
  
Sorceress Vanessa: Glad to know you liked the chapter. I hope this one was worth the wait.  
  
Ssjmiraitrks: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the story. Sorry for the late update, though.  
  
Solitaire: I know what you mean, since I've read a few fanfics that force a relationship between two characters after one's loved ones die. I didn't intend that... the story was just originally a study on how Kaiba would react to losing Mokuba. I have a strong belief in independent characters, so I doubt I'd ever get to the point where one had to be dependent on the other after losing everyone. However, Seto and Yugi have always fascinated me, and I wanted to use this chance to work with them. The relationship won't be ready made, but I hope I can do it justice. Those bars are dangerous... I fell off of plenty of them when I was a kid... and it did seem fitting to have Mokuba go that way. Besides, I wanted to focus on Kaiba and his feelings, not some complicated plot about who done it. Thanks for the reassurances about the first person. It is incredibly hard, and I'll go half a chapter writing in the first person, then switch to third person without realizing it. I then have to go back and make sure I changed all the 'he's into 'I's. Thanks again for your comments. They're very reassuring and helpful!  
  
Kurai Kaiba: Thank you very much!  
  
Shadowwaker: That's very sweet of you! I'm glad I could turn you to the realm of angst. They're my favorite type of stories, so I'd suggest checking out the ones on my favorites list, since you're looking for some. They are some of the ones I've enjoyed the most, and hopefully you can enjoy them as well. Thanks!  
  
Vappa: Actually, I get the same bizarre feeling as I'm rereading stuff to write a new chapter. I was very proud of the story as a stand alone, but it just wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to continue. If I ever get my YGO stories posted at an archive or something, I'll probably post the first chapter of this as a stand alone.  
  
Dagger5: nope, Seto really isn't all that bad... he's just got a lot of issues to deal with!  
  
Tuulikki: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying Kaiba... the boy does have some issues, which is what makes it fun to write him.  
  
S.K Hashmi: Glad to know you're enjoying the story, and Kaiba's portrayal. I'm hoping not to get too carried away with him.  
  
The Four Random Ones: You chose to review at the right time, so you won't have to wait too long for an update. Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story, cheesiness and all!  
  
Now on to the good stuff: Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Chapter 3: Scheming  
  
'I shouldn't be here.'  
  
As I looked out of the tinted window of my limo, I couldn't help but think that this was the last place I needed to be. I clenched my jaw and drew a breath to alert the driver to take me back home, but he beat me to it.  
  
"Mr. Katsura is waiting for you in the reception area, Mr. Kaiba. He's just been informed of your arrival."  
  
I closed my eyes, willing my shoulders to relax and my fists to unclench. Finally, I released the breath I'd been holding.  
  
"Very well. Park the limo and wait for me. You can do what you like while you're here, but keep your cellular phone with you at all times."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
I opened the door and was immediately assaulted by the loud voices of the people milling around the grounds. The day was cool and sunny, perfect for an outdoor activity, and the crowd had definitely come to the gaming convention in full force. Kids of all ages, along with plenty of adults, leisurely made their way from tent to tent, eager to check out the latest gaming technology. Kaiba Corporation was unveiling one of their latest holographic gaming consoles at this convention, which is why I had come. This had been planned months ago, when my life had been normal, and I hadn't seen the need to cancel it. Now, looking at all the eager kids as they ran around grinning, I knew that coming had been a mistake.  
  
I walked thorough the crowd as fast as possible, hoping to reach the reception area without anyone noticing me. I was almost there when I heard a young boy behind me yell.  
  
"There's Seto Kaiba! I can't believe it, he's really here!"  
  
"Oh, wow! Hurry up, I want to get his autograph," another boy yelled.  
  
I clenched my fists. Autograph seekers usually annoyed me, and I ignored them whenever possible. Mokuba was usually around to either talk me into signing a few, or to get rid of them. Now, there was no one but me left to deal with them.  
  
"Seto, could I please have your autograph?"  
  
The boy who had so cheerfully alerted everyone else to my presence grabbed the back of my shirt and tugged on it slightly. I whirled around to snarl at him, but stopped when a pair of soft, grey eyes and unruly black hair met my eyes. I stood, mouth open in surprise, staring at the boy, until Mokuba's face vanished, replaced by that of a younger, shorter boy with grey eyes and short black hair. The boy took a step back, suddenly afraid of me, and held his arms to his chest.  
  
"I'm sorry," the boy said.  
  
'Seto, signing a few autographs is not so bad,' Mokuba's voice flowed through my mind. 'They admire you, that's all. What could it hurt?'  
  
I looked around, half expecting Mokuba's spirit to be glaring at me for overreacting, but he wasn't there. It had only been a memory. Numbly, I held my hand out to the boy and he handed me the program he'd been holding and a black marker. I signed my name and handed the program back to the boy. He looked at the signature, and his eyes lit up in joy.  
  
"Thank you so much!" he said, and dashed off to show off to his friends.  
  
Seeing that I'd signed one autograph, other boys began handing me various pieces of paper and markers. Time seemed to stop for me. I couldn't really see the people in front of me, nor could I hear the sounds of the convention all around me. All I could hear was my little brother's soft laughter.  
  
I'm not sure how long I stood there, but a soft pat on the shoulder snapped me back to reality. Mr. Katsura was standing beside me, grinning.  
  
"You're quite the celebrity, Mr. Kaiba and we're very pleased to have you here." The man turned away and addressed the crowd. "Mr. Kaiba is done for today, but please stop by the Kaiba Corporation tent to see the latest gaming technology and to see the unveiling this afternoon."  
  
With those words, I came back to myself. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the rest of the day. My walls were once again up around me, and I felt ready to face what the day had to offer. It wouldn't do me any good to go around in a half dazed state, and I wouldn't do my company any good if I wasn't able to perform the task I'd come here to perform.  
  
"I really am happy that you were able to attend, Mr. Kaiba. Having you here greatly increased the attendance." Mr. Katsura laughed as they entered one of the buildings around the grounds. "It helps to have the two best duelists in the world in attendance, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
My eyebrows shot up at that. The two best duelists? I hadn't been aware that anyone had been contracted to do publicity for the event, much less duel during the event. I turned towards the man, who was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Well, he's not really here to duel or to do publicity for us. However, as soon as the word got out that he was here, along with you, people started rushing in. He's in that tent over there."  
  
I looked out the window to where the older man was pointing a saw a tent with a myriad of board games. I couldn't see inside it very well, since we were quite a distance from it, but I did manage to make out an unruly crown of spiky hair.  
  
"Yugi Moto is here with his grandfather, then?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.  
  
"Yes. There's no chance of the two of you holding an exhibition duel, is there?"  
  
I shook my head and turned away from Yugi's grandfather. "I don't think so. I'm not here to duel."  
  
Katsura nodded. "Yes, that's what Mr. Moto said when I asked him."  
  
"It sounds like something he would say," I said.  
  
I had to admit that the thought of Yugi being at the convention made it seem a little bit better for me. However, after the reaction I'd gotten from his grandfather three days ago when I'd taken him home, I was afraid of what he'd say to me. Since I was no longer in school, I didn't get to see him every day. I hadn't seen him since the day I was expelled and my heart beat a little faster at the though of how he'd receive me now.  
  
I concluded my business with Katsura and made my way to the Kaiba Corporation tent, where a couple of my programmers and one of my public relations people were busy showing whoever came by some of the latest advances they'd made in gaming technology. I smiled, pleased at the reaction from the crowd. This I could definitely handle. Work had to become my saving grace, the thing that kept me away from the abyss, or I was afraid of where I'd end up.  
  
"Things are going very well, Mr. Kaiba," Enishi Okita said when he spotted me. "The unveiling tonight is going to be a complete success."  
  
I nodded at the man, happy with the information.  
  
"Do you have things under control here? I'd like to take a look around," I asked.  
  
"We're handling things fine, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
"Very well. I will return for the unveiling," I said, and began to stroll around the convention grounds.  
  
Kids that noticed me brightened, and a lot of them waved at me. A few came up to me and asked me Duel Monsters questions, and I answered them as patiently as I could, without snapping at any of them. A few of the parents shot weary glances at me, as if I was going to harm their children, but I ignored them. Maybe they'd tell their kids to stay away from me. That would certainly make my life better.  
  
I was so concerned about avoiding the kids that swarmed all over the place that I neglected to notice where I was going. I barely reacted when a short man stepped in my way. I was ready to tell him to get out of my way when a very familiar pair of violet eyes met mine.  
  
"I think we need to talk."  
  
I sighed. I wasn't in the mood to listen to Yugi's grandfather yell at me, but if I wanted to get on the man's good side for Yugi's sake, then I was going to have to start compromising.  
  
"Very well. Where would you like to talk?"  
  
Mr. Moto shrugged. "Yugi is taking care of the tent right now, so why don't we find a nice, quiet place?"  
  
"Fine, follow me," I said, and headed towards the building where I'd spoken to Katsura. I found an empty lounge and sat at one of the couches, letting Mr. Moto sit or stand as he chose. "What do you want to talk about?"  
  
Mr. Moto regarded me coolly and silently. I was impressed at his ability to stare me down, without withering under my gaze. I'd never though of him as a man with a backbone, since I'd always seen him acting like an idiot. Maybe the act was just for show, to make people comfortable. Whatever it was, I was glad he wasn't using it now.  
  
"I don't appreciate your influence on my grandson," the elder Moto finally said as he took a seat on the chair opposite me. "I don't appreciate you distracting him from his studies."  
  
I had to laugh at that, to which Mr. Moto replied by sending a glare my way.  
  
"He stayed at my house for dinner one night, Mr. Moto. I think he mainly stayed to make sure I ate, once he realized I hadn't since..." I trailed off, not wanting to go there. To my surprise, Mr. Moto did not broach the subject of my brother either, but I could see sympathy flood his eyes for a moment. "I haven't talked to Yugi since," I finished.  
  
"I don't understand why you would want to talk to him at all, Kaiba. You've never been anything but cold, rude and cruel to him, despite his best efforts to befriend you, and all of a sudden you want to be his friend? Why?"  
  
I opened my mouth, but shut it when I realized I didn't have an answer I could give Mr. Moto, because the truth certainly wouldn't pacify him. If anything, the truth would make the situation much worse than it was. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat as I desperately wracked my brain for something, anything I could tell the elder man that would not further alienate me from him. When nothing came, I sighed and decided to stay to the truth as much as possible. My hands were suddenly sweaty, and I wiped them on my slacks.  
  
"I... I don't know, Mr. Moto. I realize that the way I've treated Yugi over the last few years, they way I treated you, wasn't exactly the best. However, things change, people change. Yugi has made me realize that and I think that I've changed from who I used to be. Yugi has this way of treating me like he treats everyone else, and I like that about him. I just thought that now would be a good time to make up for past behavior."  
  
I watched Mr. Moto for his reaction and could tell that the man didn't entirely believe me. I couldn't really blame him, since his expectations of me weren't very high. I wasn't lying, though, I just wasn't telling the entire truth. I had a feeling Yugi hadn't told him the entire truth either. After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Moto spoke.  
  
"Yugi means the world to me, Seto Kaiba. I may not be wealthy or have many connections, but if you hurt my grandson, I will make it my business to hurt you in return."  
  
I nodded. I had expected nothing else. I got up to leave but his voice stopped me at the door.  
  
"For what it's worth, Kaiba, I'm sorry about Mokuba."  
  
I nodded again and left the room.  
  
**~~**  
  
"Okita, I'm not going to stay for the unveiling after all, but I trust you to handle it."  
  
The man's eyes widened and I could see his throat constricting as he swallowed nervously. He hadn't expected this, but I didn't think I could stay here any longer. I hated to leave my responsibilities, but I did pay my employees for a reason, so they might as well earn their salaries.  
  
"Of course, Mr. Kaiba. I'll take care of it," the man said, his tone one of surprise.  
  
"I expect a report first thing Monday morning."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
I turned to leave, and almost tripped over a small boy. He gave me a grin and walked around me, further into the Kaiba Corp. tent. I took out my cell phone and was about to dial for my driver, when someone bumped into me. I recovered quickly, but before I could lift my head to see who had hit me, a fist flew at me, connecting very solidly with my jaw. Having already been off balance, the momentum of the blow threw me back into one of our displays and I knocked it over. I heard the sickening crunch of breaking electronics and my temper raged. When I raised my head, I found a seething Tristan Taylor glaring at me, rubbing his left hand.  
  
"That's for Joey, you heartless bastard."  
  
I was immediately on my feet, advancing towards the enraged teenager, my own temper flaring. Unlike that day at school, however, I knew what I was doing. I felt something drip down my chin but ignored it. I could have it looked at later.  
  
"What are you going to do, Kaiba? Are you going to break my jaw too, like you did Joey's?"  
  
That stopped me in my tracks. I looked behind Tristan to see Joey himself, his face still swollen from where I'd hit him, the metal of the braces holding his jaw together glinting from the sides of his face. The hospital had apparently released him right on time. Tea stood to one side of him, Yugi to the other. Yugi looked at me, but then looked away. My heart sank at the sight. I was afraid of this, afraid that he'd ignore me and want nothing to do with me in front of his friends.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, are you okay? I'm calling security," Okita said.  
  
"No. This is my problem and I'll handle it," I said, my jaw aching from where Tristan had hit me.  
  
"With all due respect, Mr. Kaiba, you're bleeding. That boy should be arrested for assault."  
  
Tristan laughed. "It's funny you should mention that," he told Okita. "You see my friend over there? Well, Kaiba here broke his jaw three days ago and he wasn't punished, wasn't arrested for assault. See what happens when you have money?"  
  
"That's enough, Tristan. You can insult me all you want, but leave my employees out of this. You're only making a fool of yourself if you continue this."  
  
"I'll show you," Tristan said and launched himself at me.  
  
I dropped into a defensive stance still in the middle of the Kaiba Corp. tent, hoping that nothing else would get broken in the process.  
  
"Stop it, both of you!"  
  
Tristan came to an abrupt halt, and I noticed that Yugi was pulling on Tristan's right arm, holding him back. Joey, in the mean time, was walking away from us, Tea hot on his heels. A crowd had gathered around us, both inside and outside the tent, and I knew that I had to finish this quickly, before people began to gossip. My employees were staring at me in shock, but stayed out of the altercation.  
  
"Tristan, you're not helping Joey at all by attacking Kaiba like this."  
  
"Why are you defending him, Yugi? He hit you too, remember?"  
  
Yugi looked at me, then at Tristan, before letting Tristan go. "I don't want to see Kaiba hurt and I don't want you arrested. Besides, acting like this is just making Joey feel worse."  
  
Tristan looked around, for the first time noticing that Joey had left. "Damn it!" he said. "This isn't finished, Kaiba, not by a long shot," he added, then ran in the direction Joey had left.  
  
I looked away, knowing that Yugi would follow his friend. I knelt in front of the display and picked up the pieces of the console I'd broken. It was ruined. I'd have to go back to get another one. A hand on my shoulder startled me. I fully expected to see Okita, but it was Yugi who kneeled beside me.  
  
"You're bleeding," Yugi said. He reached into his coat and took out a handkerchief. He put it over my bleeding lip, and then put my hand over it to hold it in place. "You should put ice on that before it swells."  
  
Yugi was looking better, his face had almost healed from the damage I'd inflicted on it. I smiled bitterly under the handkerchief.  
  
"I've had worse, but thank you for your concern."  
  
I finished picking up the pieces of the console, and set them on one of the back tables.  
  
"I'm going back to the office to get another one of these, I'll be back shortly," I said, and made my way out of the tent.  
  
"Kaiba, wait!"  
  
I stopped and waited for Yugi to catch up to me.  
  
"You forgot this," he said and handed me my cell phone, which I'd dropped in the fall.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Yugi smiled. "Thank you for taking care of Joey's hospital bill."  
  
I shrugged. "It was my fault, so there's no need to thank me."  
  
I walked away again, but Yugi grabbed my arm. I wanted to get away from him, wanted to forget how he'd shied away from me and only got close when his friends were long gone. I'd been a fool to believe him, to think that anything could happen between us.  
  
"What's the matter? Was it what my grandfather said?"  
  
Yugi's expression was one of confusion, and I couldn't understand how he couldn't see what he'd done.  
  
"I have to go back to the office to get the console I broke. I'll be back later."  
  
"Can we talk then?" Yugi asked.  
  
I shrugged and walked away.  
  
"Sure, if you want,"  
  
**~~**  
  
The drive to the office was long, and I took out my briefcase to catch up on some paperwork, knowing that the distraction would keep me from thinking about what had just happened at the convention. The handkerchief Yugi had given me was on the floor of the limo by my feet, bloodied. I kicked it out of the way so that the blood on the white fabric wouldn't remind me of someone else's blood on my white coat.  
  
I took a folder out of my briefcase and leafed through the documents to see which one I wanted to tackle first. At the very bottom of the pile, a memo caught my attention. It wasn't addressed to me, so my secretary had probably picked it up by mistake. It was addressed to the Chief Financial Officer of the Japan branch of Kaiba Corp. from the Chief Financial Officer of the United States branch of Kaiba Corp. Curious, I read the memo:  
  
Mr. Shishio, the Mexican businessmen we've been talking to are  
anxious. I'm afraid they refuse to take 'no' for an answer and want  
what we promised them right away. I've tried to negotiate for more  
time, time to cover our tracks before we make our move on Kaiba Corp.  
in Japan, but they're unwilling to wait. If we move now, Seto Kaiba is  
more than likely going to become aware of what we're doing and put a  
stop to it, and I doubt you want that to happen. Think it over and get  
back to me.  
  
The memo was signed by Brandon Spencer, whom I knew very well. I read the memo twice more to make sure I hadn't misinterpreted or missed anything, and by the time I finished, I was seething. Visions of the Big 5 siding with Maximillion Pegasus against me ran through my head in a flurry of sight and sound. When I got my hands on those two traitors, heads were going to roll.  
  
"Speed up, Seijuro, I need to get to Kaiba Corp. at once."  
  
The driver nodded and sped up. I debated whether to confront Shishio and Spencer right away or wait and dig a little deeper into what they were doing. I should probably get more information on their plans before coming face to face with them. It would give me more power over them. Yes, I would wait for a bit until they gave themselves away.  
  
Out of nowhere, I heard a soft pop, followed by the shattering of the front windshield. Seijuro's head snapped back violently with the impact of the bullet that had shattered the glass. Blood and other pieces of his head hit my face as I was thrust forward with the lurching of the limo. I had neglected to buckle my seatbelt after grabbing my briefcase, and as the limo lurched from side to side, I was thrown against both doors. I was crawling towards the front, to take control of the limo, when I saw an approaching wall. We were heading straight towards the Kaiba Corp. parking garage going faster than we should have been.  
  
As I reached the front of the limo, one of the wheels hit a curb that sent the limo flying straight towards the parking garage. I didn't have time to brace myself as the limo hit the wall, and I was thrust forward towards the broken windshield and blessed darkness.  
  
TBC  
  
**~~**  
  
And the plot begins, finally. Yes, there actually is one.  
  
All of the Japanese names that were introduced in this chapter come for another anime (I didn't feel like looking up some new ones). I'll give a preview of the story, not just the next chapter, to anyone who can tell me what anime series it is.  
  
I have a question about the first person point of view. Are you all enjoying it? How is it working out? Is the story involved enough, even if it's being told from just one character? I would love some feedback on this, to get a feel of how you guys see the story. Thank you in advance for your help.  
  
Next up: Now if I told you that, I'd ruin the chapter, wouldn't I? Here's hoping for a shorter time between updates. 


	4. Concussions and Home Care

Greetings!  
  
My finals are over *does happy dance*. Now it's just a nervous wait for grades to be posted on Friday *bites nails to the quick*. Ahem, anyway, back to the post. I'm beginning to really enjoy writing this story. It's so different than what I'm used to, and I'm enjoying writing in the first person. Thank you all for your opinions on that too!  
  
Reviews:  
  
Mimiheart: Thank you for your comments! It was really hard to get used to writing in the first person, and I was doing everything you mentioned. I managed to get it fixed before posting (at least I think I did). It does give you certain freedoms too. I'm glad you're enjoying it.  
  
Egypts: Hi, Mistletou! The new name is easier to spell ;o) Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Earthfirewindwater: Sorry... nope, no Mokuba. I miss the little guy too. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and Kaiba and Yugi. Thanks for the review.  
  
YumeTakato: I know, Kaiba never gets a break. He's bound to get one eventually, right?  
  
Lightning Sage: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
MotherChowGoddess: Sniff, sniff... I'm sniffling right along with you. It does seem so terribly unfair, right? But Seto is strong, he'll get through it.  
  
Lydia: Not all limos are bullet proof, since it's quite costly to make them that way. However, Kaiba's limo should have been. Explanation on that to come in a future chapter. Thanks for the review!  
  
Solitaire: Your reviews always make me smile! I have had images of a headless Seto ever since reading your review, you know... This is actually not about someone trying to steal his company. I think that's way overdone. Hopefully what I have planned will be as enjoyable and believable though. I love what you said about Yugi and Kaiba, because it's mostly correct. They are going to have some troubles, but they're trying their best. Umm... since you mentioned Intruders, I have to ask: was the chapter really that bad? Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it.  
  
S.K Hashmi: Kaiba snapping at everyone is mostly something the dub has done. I don't think he's that rude in the Japanese version. I don't see it that way, at least, though it could have something to do with the fact that I understand very little Japanese and rely on subtitles. Yeah, the plot of the first chapter (story) was just what you mentioned. Now that it's been extended, something else had to come along.  
  
The Four Random Ones: Shishio just cries to be a name for villains. And of course, you're right. I can e-mail you with the preview you've won, but I wanted to ask you if it was okay first. Let me know. This isn't about someone trying to take over the company... you'll see what it's really about in later chapters.  
  
Hobbit13: Unusual plot twists, me? Are you sure you got the right author? Just kidding. About Yugi's grandpa: The poor man has absolutely no idea what's really going on. Believe me, he's going to get a rude awakening at some point in the story. Joey and Kaiba are still very much unresolved... Poor Joey has to have time to heal, though. Thanks for your insight!  
  
Amiasha Ruri: No need to apologize, but it is great to hear from you. Thank you for your comments! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story as its going.  
  
Sorceress Vanessa: Awww, you're so sweet! I'm trying to go back to my writing schedule, and I hope that I can stick to it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
Painful Life: Sorry about the evil cliffhanger. I sometimes can't help myself. I hope this update was quick enough for ya!  
  
Okay, now on to the good stuff. Enjoy!  
  
**~~**  
  
Chapter 4: Concussions and Home Care  
  
The first thing I noticed when I came to was that I was no longer in my limousine. The second thing I noticed was that there was a draft chilling my suddenly naked butt. My modesty being what it was, I immediately opened my eyes and sat up to assess the situation. That was the wrong thing to do, because before I knew it, my stomach was churning violently and I wanted nothing more than to head to the bathroom and empty the contents of my stomach. Since getting out of bed was not an option, I desperately looked around the bed and spotted a silver trashcan that had been conveniently left where I could reach it. I grabbed it and heaved into it until my stomach was satisfied.  
  
Having done that, I flopped back onto the bed and received a bout of dizziness for my troubles. Once that went away, the problem of my exposed butt came back to me, and I sat up again, this time with care, and saw that I was in a hospital room, dressed in one of those horrific gowns that tied in back and left most of your backside exposed. I had managed to kick off most of the bed sheets sometime as I lay unconscious or drugged asleep, which is why my butt was chilled.  
  
Sighing, I reached for the discarded blankets and pulled them over me once again, wondering how many doctors and nurses had come into my room and seen me half naked. I shuddered at the thought. I could hear it now: I saw Seto Kaiba's butt, did you? Heat rose to my cheeks despite the other discomforts in my body, and I lay back down again, now safely under the hospital issue sheets and blanket.  
  
Now that my virtue was safe once again, my mind wandered back to why I was in the hospital. I shuddered as an image of the wall coming at us flashed through my mind, and then promptly remembered what had happened to Seijuro. I touched my face, remembering the driver's blood and brain matter hitting me in the face. How could that have happened? The limo was bullet proof, wasn't it? My face was clean now, except for the bandage above my right eye. It was big, it went all the way up into my hairline, and I wondered just how much damage had been done. I checked the rest of my body, and found that my right shoulder ached, and I could barely move that arm. My chest felt a little sore, but not too much. I needed to talk to a doctor to see just what was wrong with me.  
  
As if on cue, the door to the room opened. Instead of revealing a doctor, however, the door revealed a nervous, white haired boy and an equally nervous spiky haired teenager. They were behind them, as if looking for someone, so they didn't notice I was awake.  
  
"We're going to get in trouble for sneaking in, Yugi," Ryou whispered, still looking into the hallway.  
  
"I don't care. I want to see how Kaiba is. It's their fault for not letting me see him."  
  
Yugi's words warmed my heart, making the situation seem a little bit brighter. I sensed nothing but sincerity from him, and that brought a little smile to my face.  
  
"Close the door, Ryou!" Yugi hissed as he dragged Ryou into the room, "here they come!"  
  
I cleared my throat, causing the two teens to whirl around to face me. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were fugitives."  
  
Yugi grinned widely and rushed to the bed, while Ryou merely stood back and watched us. It dawned on me then that Yugi was not holding back or being cautious around his friend, which made me feel a bit better too.  
  
"Kaiba! How are you? What happened?" Yugi said, his words rushed in his effort to ask everything he wanted. He came to the bed and put his hands on my arm, as if afraid to further injure me. "I heard about the accident as I was helping my grandfather pack up our stuff at the convention, but when I came by that day, they wouldn't let me see you."  
  
His last sentence caused me to frown. "Yugi, how long have I been here?"  
  
Yugi's mouth formed a cute little 'o' of surprise, before he shook his head. "Um, three days. Do you remember what happened?"  
  
Three days? I'd been unconscious for three days? How could that be? Something occurred to me, and I sat up, swaying slightly when my head began to spin. Yugi held on to me, keeping me upright.  
  
"Where's my briefcase? It was in the car with me, where is it?"  
  
Yugi frowned unhappily as I tried to get up to find my briefcase. As I was attempting to put my left foot on the floor, my stomach churned again, and I once again threw up into the silver trashcan that Yugi handed me. I felt my cheeks burning from the embarrassment of losing it in front of Yugi and Ryou, but my stomach had other plans for me at the moment.  
  
"I don't know where it is, Kaiba. Maybe the doctors will know."  
  
At that moment, the door opened again to admit a doctor. He was tall, brown haired and blue eyed. He took one look at me and the trashcan in my hand, and then one look at my companions had his face twisted into a scowl.  
  
"There are supposed to be no visitors here," he roared in a slightly accented voice. "Mr. Kaiba is under police watch, so no one is to be in here with him."  
  
Yugi cringed at the doctor's tone, but did not move away from me. Instead, he took the trashcan out of my hands and put it on the floor beside me. Ryou had come closer, so he was now standing at the other side of my bed.  
  
"Mr. Moto and Mr. Bakura are my guests, doctor. If I say I want them here, then you can't get rid of them." I said formally, daring the man to contradict me.  
  
The doctor turned his scowl on me. "You, Mr. Kaiba, should not be sitting up in bed, much less moving around at all. You have a very severe concussion, and any movement will just make you miserable."  
  
As if sensing my discomfort, he looked down at the trashcan. "I see you've already discovered that."  
  
I sighed, impatient with the uptight man. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
"I am not going to discuss your medical history in front of these boys."  
  
I tightened my jaw at the way the man looked at Yugi and Ryou. To the doctor, the teens were little more than nuisances. To me, Yugi was important and no one treated him with anything less than respect.  
  
"These boys," I said, emphasizing the insult, "are my guests. Since it's my medical history we're talking about, I choose to let them be present when you brief me."  
  
The doctor glared at Yugi, who was gripping my arm in an iron grasp, and then huffed. Yes, he actually huffed. I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, if I hadn't suspected that out of spite, he wouldn't tell me what was wrong with me.  
  
"Very well, Mr. Kaiba. You have a severe concussion sustained when your head hit the wall your limousine collided with. You are very luck to be alive and in once piece. Your right shoulder was dislocated by the same impact, but we've put it back in place. You'll have to wear a sling for a few weeks. You bruised a couple of ribs, but they've been wrapped and will heal with time. You are one lucky man, Mr. Kaiba. You very easily could have ended up dead, like your driver."  
  
Yugi gasped at that last piece of information and turned wide, violet eyes on me. I opted to ignore him for the moment. I'd give him explanations later.  
  
"When can I get out of here?" I asked, already wanting to be back at home, or better yet, at the office.  
  
"Not for a few more days, Mr. Kaiba. As I said, you're lucky to be alive, and I want to keep you here for observation and to make sure you're not going to do anything stupid to undo all of my hard work. Right now, the police want to talk to you."  
  
I sighed. I figured they would. The doctor turned to leave, but I stopped him.  
  
"Doctor, was a silver briefcase brought in with me?"  
  
The doctor thought about it for a moment. "Actually, yes it was. The paramedics said they hadn't been able to pry it from your fingers."  
  
I frowned. I hadn't been holding on to the brief case when Seijuro was killed. How had it gotten to me? I shrugged. It didn't matter, as long as I had it.  
  
"Can I get it back?"  
  
The doctor nodded. "Your two friends can come get it while you talk to the police."  
  
I nodded and turned to Yugi. "Could you go with him and bring it back?"  
  
Yugi looked at me strangely for a moment and then nodded. "What's so important about that briefcase, Kaiba?" he asked.  
  
"It has some important papers in it," I said. Yeah, like proof of a conspiracy against my company, but I didn't tell Yugi that.  
  
"Okay, I'll be right back," Yugi said.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay, Kaiba," Ryou added as he and Yugi left the room with the doctor.  
  
About five minutes later, two police officers entered my room. They were typical officers, non-descript, the kind of men that would blend in with a crowd. One stood stiffly by the door while the other came to stand next to the bed, on the other side of the trashcan.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, do you remember what happened?"  
  
I closed my eyes and nodded slowly. Yes, of course I remembered. It wasn't every day that I saw my driver shot in the head directly in front of me.  
  
"Can you tell us?"  
  
I took a deep breath and told them everything I knew about the incident. It was strange to hear myself speak of what had happened, and I think shock was still numbing my mind, because everything seemed as if it were out of the local newspaper, not necessarily out of my life.  
  
"Do you have any idea why you'd be attacked in such a manner?"  
  
I had to laugh at that, and it didn't make the officer very happy. He held the notepad in his hands stiffly, barely writing down anything I told him.  
  
"I run a multi-billion dollar company. There are many people who would like to see me dead," I said.  
  
The man seemed surprised by my answer, almost as if he didn't think I'd be so blunt. Why not, when it was the truth? He recovered soon enough, though.  
  
"Well then, do you know why someone would like to kill you now?" he asked, matching my sarcasm, which I had to admire. Hardly anyone could match my coldness and scathing sarcasm, but this man did it nicely.  
  
"Because now that my brother is dead they don't have him to use against me," I blurted out, and then clamped my jaw shut when I realized what I had said. I glared at the wall, not meeting the gaze of either officer, both of whom shuffled their feet uncomfortably at my comment.  
  
"Yes, I heard about that. I'm sorry for your loss."  
  
I said nothing. What was the use, anyway?  
  
"I think we're done here," the police officer by the door said, and the man closest to me agreed.  
  
"If you have anything else to add, please contact us, Mr. Kaiba."  
  
The man handed me a business card, and I took it. I refused to look at either of them and kept my eyes averted until they left. As soon as the door shut, I sighed.  
  
"Idiot," I told myself. "You could have handled that better."  
  
I leaned against my pillow and closed my eyes. I was tired. I wanted to just shut my eyes and drift off to a place where I didn't have to worry about anything, but I didn't want to do it in the hospital. I had to get home.  
  
I gingerly sat up and pushed the blankets away. I got both of my feet under me, and promptly shivered at the coldness of the floor. I pulled the top blanked over my shoulders as I stood up to keep me semi-decent, and was amazed when I didn't fall on my butt. My shoulder ached when I moved it, but it was negligible. I could deal with a dislocated shoulder. After all, I'd dealt with worse.  
  
I rummaged around the room until I found my bloodied and ruined clothes in one of the drawers. Since there was no one to bring me clean clothes, I had to content myself with wearing what I had on the day of the accident. I was surprised that the doctors had even kept my clothes, but I wasn't about to question their decision. I got into my pants and shirt with a bit of difficulty, since I was continually fighting dizziness, but before long, I was fully dressed. My shoes weren't with my clothes, but I could always wear the sandals the hospital had provided for me. It was fortunate for me that my clothes were black and the blood wasn't that apparent on that clothing.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
I whirled around, surprised at the voice, and found Yugi standing by the half open door with my briefcase. I sighed in relief when I saw it, and then blushed slightly at Yugi's reproachful look.  
  
"I'm getting dressed, that's what I'm doing," I managed, my voice strong and incredibly stable. The last thing I needed was for Yugi to think I was weak and needed to stay in the hospital. "I'm going to go home."  
  
"Like hell you are," Yugi retorted. He set the briefcase down at the foot of the bed and came towards me. "You are in no condition to go anywhere, Kaiba. Besides, the doctor hasn't released you."  
  
"So what? It's not like he's going to do anything else for me. He'll recommend rest, and what better place for me to rest than in my own home?" I said, hoping Yugi would buy the argument and not fight me on this. "Where is Ryou?" I asked.  
  
"His father called him and told him to go home."  
  
I nodded. It seemed no one wanted their kid to spend time with me. It wasn't that surprising. After all, I couldn't even take care of my own brother, much less anyone else. Yugi must have seen something on my face, because he walked towards me and put a hand on my arm.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
I nodded and pulled my arm away from Yugi. Yugi's face showed his surprise and hurt at the movement, but at that moment, I didn't care.  
  
"Why are you here?" I asked, all of a sudden feeling defensive. "You didn't want to talk to me at the convention, not in front of your friends, so why are you here now? Is it safe because it's just you and I and no one else can see us together?"  
  
Yugi's eyes widened, before the younger teen lowered his head.  
  
"I'm sorry about what happened, Kaiba. I'm still new at this, okay?" Yugi said, his own voice tainted with anger and guilt. "I didn't mean to make you feel like this."  
  
"It doesn't matter, anyway," I said.  
  
I pushed him aside and picked up my briefcase. I was so intent on getting away from him that I moved to fast, and got dizzy. I stumbled and would have fallen if Yugi hadn't wrapped his arm around my waist and steadied me. I didn't want the help, but I was smart enough to know that I needed it.  
  
"This is how you plan on going home? You won't get halfway down the hall like this," Yugi scolded as he guided me to the bed, where he sat me down. "If you are intent on going home, then let me take you."  
  
I sighed, but knew when I'd been beat. "Fine," I said, and resigned myself to the unexpected help.  
  
**~~**  
  
Getting home was an ordeal.  
  
Yugi managed to sneak me out of the hospital the same way he'd sneaked in, so that wasn't a problem. The problem was that Yugi was driving his grandfather's beat up, old car, which decided to stop running halfway to my house. He had smiled sheepishly at me, clearly embarrassed, as the car sputtered to a stop, and then declared that he could deal with the problem and get the car running again. True to his word, thirty minutes later, Yugi had coaxed the car into running again. He muttered something about a temperamental radiator and continued to drive. My questions about the car, how old it was, and what the problem was, were met with silence, so I decided to stop asking. My head was spinning too much from the motion of the car to pay much attention anyway.  
  
I was currently sitting in my bed, waiting for Yugi to bring up dinner. I had asked him not to go out of his way for me, to go back home, but he'd insisted on staying, saying that if the hospital was any indication, I'd want to be up and around before it was time for me to. Yugi's attitude had annoyed me at first, until I'd tried to prove to him that I was okay and didn't need the help, only to end up on my knees in front of the toilet, throwing up, while Yugi patted my back comfortingly. To say I was embarrassed in an understatement. At that moment, even with as bad as I felt, I would have liked to have been pulled down into the toilet along with everything else to escape the situation.  
  
I'd finally admitted defeat and changed into my pajamas and settled down on my bed. I did feel much better, though I wasn't about to admit to Yugi that he'd been right.  
  
My briefcase lay open beside me. I glanced at it, amazed that the papers I'd been carrying in it had managed to stay inside at all. I'd left the briefcase open in my mad dash to the front of the limo, but everything inside was still where it was supposed to be. I pulled it closer to me and began to rifle through the documents, wanting to find that memo that hadn't been intended for me. It was hard to look through when I only had one working arm, the other one having been put on a sling as soon as I'd gotten home, and I ended up having to turn the suitcase over, emptying the papers onto my bed.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
My normally immaculate paperwork was now a crumpled mess on my bed. My PDA had fallen onto the floor along with the blueprints of my newest project. I moved to pick them up, but the aching of my head kept me in place. I'd pick them up later.  
  
After rummaging for a moment, I found the memo I was looking for. I fished it out of the mound it had been in, and frowned when I saw a few brown stains on it. The memo had been clean when I'd first found it, and these stains seemed to have been made from something on the back of the sheet of paper. I turned it over and gaped at the scrawled writing.  
  
We are tired of waiting. Next time you will loose something dear to your heart.  
  
The letters were sloppy and obviously written in a hurry. Someone had been through my briefcase, then. That explained how I had ended up with my hands on it, as the doctor had said I'd been found. Whoever had killed Seijuro had come to make sure the job had been properly done, down to the message left for me.  
  
My bedroom door opened, and I quickly folded the memo and put in under my pillow. I didn't want Yugi to know about any of this. He wasn't going to get involved in my problems, not if I could help it. Yugi walked in carrying a tray with two steaming bowls of something that smelled delicious, but at the same time made my stomach churn.  
  
"I don't want to eat that," I said.  
  
Yugi's eyebrows lifted and he stared at me. "You don't even know what the cook made."  
  
"I don't care what she made; all I know is that my stomach does not like the idea of food right now."  
  
Yugi set the tray down on my side table, unconcerned that I had refused the food. He balanced a smaller tray on my lap and put the steaming bowl of noodles on top of it. I cringed at the sight.  
  
"Just drink the broth, Kaiba. You might not be able to handle the noodles just yet, but you have to eat something," Yugi instructed, picking up his much smaller bowl. He sat down by my knees and set the bowl on his lap. He looked up at me expectantly, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"What," I asked, slightly defensive under the scrutiny.  
  
"Eat."  
  
I sighed. Yugi was worse than Mokuba by a long shot. I could at least intimidate Mokuba once in a while, but Yugi was not letting me have my way no matter what I tried. I scowled at him, but picked up the bowl and took a sip of the broth. It was warm and delicious, and didn't feel as bad as I had thought it would.  
  
"See, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Yugi said as he ate his own meal. He smiled at me, and I growled in response.  
  
"Whatever," I snapped, which only made Yugi smile more.  
  
"My, I think you're getting a little bit cranky. I think it's past your bed time."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Didn't you just say I had to eat?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "Yup, and you just did," he replied, and pointed down at my bowl, which was almost empty. I didn't remember sipping most of the broth. I stared up at Yugi, slightly confused.  
  
"I think it's the concussion, Kaiba, don't worry. Now let me put up all your papers and get you to bed."  
  
I watched as Yugi shoved everything back in my briefcase, except for the fallen PDA and blueprints. Those he put on the desk at the other end of the room. He worked efficiently, and I again wondered why he was hanging around, taking care of me. I know he'd said that he cared about me and wanted to explore a relationship, but that rarely involved this kind of thing, right? I closed my eyes. My head hurt. I didn't want to think about that issue right now, when I wasn't at my best.  
  
"Okay, lay back like a good boy and go to sleep," Yugi said as he took the tray and bowl away from me. He put everything back on the tray he'd brought with him and headed out the door. "You better be asleep when I get back," he said and left the room.  
  
I settled down on my pillows, suddenly very tired. There were so many things I needed to take care of, but I didn't have the energy to do so right now. I closed my eyes and was soon asleep.  
  
**~~**  
  
I was startled awake by the sound of someone moving by my feet. My instincts immediately kicked into high gear and I readied myself for action. When I looked at the foot of my bed, though, I realized that no action was needed. Yugi had fallen asleep there and was apparently in the middle of a bad dream. He was tossing and turning, muttering in his sleep every few minutes. His face was screwed up in what could have been pain or fear, and something in my heart felt for him and wanted to make whatever it was go away. I slowly inched my way closer to him and ran my hand through his soft hair. The touch seemed to soothe him, so I left my hand on his forehead as he calmed down.  
  
A bright flash of light startled me, and I suddenly found myself staring at Yami.  
  
"I see you're feeling better," Yami said, not entirely unkindly.  
  
I blinked at him for a moment, surprised at his sudden appearance, before composing myself. I thought of removing my hand from Yugi's forehead, but decided against it.  
  
"Does he always have nightmares like this?" I asked Yami, choosing to ignore his statement.  
  
Yami looked down at Yugi, his expression softening. "Unfortunately, he has them more often than I would like."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Yami looked at me, as if gauging my sincerity. Satisfied that I was asking out of concern for Yugi, he sighed.  
  
"There are a lot of things in Yugi's life that he has not told me about, things that still bother him. There are things that we've both experienced that upset him still, even with my help. He's a strong person, but sometimes he feels things a bit too much, and it leads to nights like these."  
  
I stared at the spirit, my mouth open slightly in surprise at the long speech. I think this is the most Yami had ever said to me. What he had said about Yugi worried me, though. I was going to have to talk to him about it at some point.  
  
"I trust that your intentions with him are honest, Kaiba. If you hurt him, you will have me to deal with," Yami said and disappeared back into the puzzle.  
  
I stroked Yugi's hair again, chuckling at Yami's threat. A thought occurred to me and I looked at the clock. It was almost eight. I made it over to the nightstand and picked up my phone, dialing Yugi's number as I settled back down on the pillows.  
  
After the fifth ring, Yugi's grandfather answered.  
  
"Mr. Moto, it's Seto Kaiba," I said.  
  
"Yes, Kaiba, what can I do for you," the older Moto asked in forced politeness.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that Yugi is at my house. He fell asleep and I don't want to wake him. Besides, your car broke down on the way here and I don't currently have a driver to take him home."  
  
Mr. Moto didn't say anything for a few moments, and then sighed.  
  
"What happened to the car?" he finally asked.  
  
"I don't know. Yugi said something about the radiator," I replied. I should have asked him more about it.  
  
"I'll have someone pick it up tomorrow morning and bring it back to the game shop so it'll be off your property."  
  
"If you don't mind," I ventured carefully, wanting to help but not wanting to offend the man, "I can have the car looked at tomorrow. Yugi can drive it home when it's fixed."  
  
"Yugi has school tomorrow, Kaiba, he can't skip it."  
  
I tried to keep my exasperation from my voice as I replied. "I know that, Mr. Moto. I'll have him taken to school and by the time he gets back, the car should be fixed, if that's okay with you." I hated having to ask, but I didn't want to get Yugi in trouble, and I wanted him to have a reason to come back.  
  
"Didn't you say you didn't have a driver?"  
  
I bit my lower lip, willing myself not to snap at the man. "I will have one by tomorrow," I replied and made a mental note to call Charles and tell him to hire one.  
  
Mr. Moto was silent again. Finally, he spoke. "Fine. Tell Yugi to come home as soon as he can."  
  
"I will, good night," I said and hung up.  
  
I smiled as I put the receiver back in its cradle. It would be nice to have Yugi at the house for one more day. I looked at him one more time and was glad to see that he was sleeping peacefully. I took one of my pillows and put it underneath his head so that he wouldn't have to rest on his arms. I would move him to the side of the bed, but I didn't think I could handle his weight gently enough with just one arm as to not wake him. I took the comforter and wrapped it around him, leaving me with just the blanket and sheet. The house didn't get too cold at night, so we should both be fine.  
  
I settled back down, comforted by the presence at my feet, and drifted off to sleep.  
  
**~~**  
  
See, I don't always leave you with cliffhangers, just some sap this time.  
  
Next up: Kaiba does some research and finds out more about what's going on with his company. 


	5. Back at Work

Greetings! I'm back with my weekly update, but first I have a question (and this has absolutely nothing to do with the story so I apologize for that).  
  
I found this Kaiba quote online, but have no idea what episode it's from. I remember hearing it, and I know that it's in the Japanese anime. If anyone knows, please let me know so I can watch that episode again. Here is the quote:  
  
_"I'm just here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum."_  
  
Doesn't that sound just like Kaiba?  
  
Reviews:  
  
**MotherChowGoddess**: I remember PE, though I didn't have to take it in high school because I was in marching band. Yes, I was a band geek. My grades turned out excellent, two Bs and an A. Considering the level of difficulty of the classes, I was very proud. Yup, Seto is definitely our stiffed neck idiot, and we love him for it. The Cubs analogy was very apt. I think it's exactly like that. Ryou is an enigma. Most people hate his dubbed voice, but I think it's rather sexy. Then again, I've always had a thing for British accents. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
**Mimiheart**: Nope, concussions are not fun at all, especially when you try to drive. Seto is going to do his best not to hurt Yugi, but you never know. Thanks for reviewing!  
**  
The Four Random Ones**: I'm not really sure what Yami is going to be up to. I think you and I will find out together. Your preview should be in the mail as you read this (unless yahoo eats it). Thanks!  
  
**YumeTakato**: Thank you very much!  
**  
Yuki Tsukihana**: Don't cry, it's okay! Granted, Mokuba's death made me cry, but it's not all so bad... The story is just beginning after all. Yup, you do get a preview. You should have it in your inbox by the time you read this. If not, it's because yahoo ate it.  
**  
S.K. Hashmi**: Uh, oh... I hate it when computers go bust like that. It's ironic, but when it crashes, it seems to crash for a bunch of reasons, not just one. I hope you got it working properly. I don't want to move Kaiba and Yugi's interaction faster, mainly because I doubt that either of them, in my mind at least, would be ready for something that fast. Kaiba's brother just died and he's still dealing with it. Besides, as closed off as Kaiba is, it's a wonder he's around Yugi at all. Yup, there will be more yaoi later on. But because of the reason I just gave, it'll take a little while to get there. Thanks for the review!  
**  
Vappa**: Kaiba was meant to be out of character. I mean, the guy was waking up from a concussion after being out of it for three days. I just thought it be interesting to have him be off at first, and then have him return to himself. Thank you for your comments, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
**Solitaire**: Domestic Yugi, huh? For some reason, I like the thought of that images of Yugi in apron while Kaiba watches run through mind Ahem! Anyway... The plot going on with Kaiba Corp. is a bit confusing, even to me, but I think it's going to work out. I'm going to drop little hints every chapter. You're right, Yugi is bound to get involved in it. It just wouldn't be fun without it.  
  
It's hard to write Yami and Yugi, because the story is told from Kaiba's point of view. Unless I had Kaiba overhear what Yami and Yugi were talking about, I don't see a way to do it. Right now, I don't think Kaiba can handle knowing how Yami feels about him. Don't get me wrong, this won't be a Kaiba vs. Yami for Yugi's attentions or anything. My goal is to have all three coexist peacefully and lovingly, but it'll take a while to get to it.  
  
I'm caught up on the episodes. I watch them in Japanese, and the last one I saw was 204 (which is part of the Memory World arc). The Doom Arc is awesome! It is by far one of my favorite arcs so far. Where are you in it? The Rafael/Yami duel is just heartbreaking, as is the Joey/Varon and Joey/Mai duels. The last duel is also awesome (don't want to spoil it in case you aren't there yet). I normally get bored during the duels, but since so much was at stake for the ones in this arc, they were very entertaining. Sniff, sniff... there was so much angst involved and you're right, we did get a whole other side to Yami, which I really liked.  
  
Thank you for the kind words about Yami's characterization. I like his personality and try to keep to it as much as I can. Also, I'm glad you didn't think the Intruders chapter was horrid. I got both of your reviews and will reply more in depth when I post that story. Sorry for the long rant too. I didn't mean for it to get this long.  
  
**Kikoken**: Thank you very much for your reviews! I'm sorry that I made you cry in the first chapter, but am glad that you're enjoying the story. I hope that this update wasn't too long in coming.  
  
**Hobbit13**: Uh, oh... so if my cliffhangers drive you crazy, will I have to visit you at the mental hospital every week as penance? Just kidding. Yami and Seto have a very interesting relationship in this story. The neither like nor dislike each other. Since Yugi is no involved, though, Yami is going to try his best to protect his partner from any danger. Since he doesn't completely trust Kaiba yet, he sees Kaiba as a threat, but that may not always be the case. You'll have to keep reading to see how that particular relationship develops. Thanks!  
  
**Sorceress Vanessa**: I hope the update wasn't too long in coming. I would have had it posted sooner, but the last part of the chapter just didn't want to get written. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Saiyan Jedi**: Thanks for checking this story out. I hope that you get to like it, even with the subject matter.  
**  
Shadowwaker**: ff.net has a tendency to eat reviews... I've had that happen to me too. I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to be able to update it soon.  
  
Now that the reviews are done, on to the chapter! I'm still getting used to this new format thingie. It won't let me do my usual page breaks anymore, so I have to use the horrid lines that just make the chapter look too boxy. Oh,well. Enjoy  
  
**  
Chapter 5: Back at Work**  
  
Charles had not been able to hire a driver with such short notice, so I decided to drive Yugi to school myself. Yugi, of course, admonished me and told me that I shouldn't be driving, but I didn't pay attention to him. He even suggested that I stay home and he'd take the bus to school, but I turned that idea down flat. When he realized the bus was out of the question, he even suggested that he could simply borrow one of my cars, but I'd have none of it. I said I'd get him to school and I'd do just that. Besides, I wanted to go to the office after I took him to school and the only way I could get there was to drive myself.  
  
It had been strange showing up at the school knowing that I no longer had to attend classes. I'd gotten strange and hostile looks from some of the students, as had Yugi, but Yugi had pretended he didn't notice anything, while I just glared at anyone that looked my way. I worried about him now, because he was sure to catch some grief for being around me. Strangers might not care, but his friends certainly would, and I was certain that Ryou Bakura would have already told them about the hospital visit the previous day. I told Yugi I'd pick him up after school to take him back to my house to get his grandfather's car, and he wished me a good day and went on his way.  
  
As I left the school and drove to work, I couldn't help but think of what had happened. Being in the car made me jittery, and I half expected another bullet to fly in through the windshield and hit me in the head, just like it had done to Seijuro.  
  
The police report had been very graphic. Seijuro had died instantly, for which I was grateful. I didn't know much about the man other than the fact that he was my driver, but no one deserved to suffer while dying in such a grisly manner. The bullet that had killed him had come from a neighboring building and had been fired from a long range rifle used mainly by the military in the West. The police estimated the rifle used to be of either Mexican or American make, which narrowed the origin of the attackers down to at least two countries; either that or someone who purchased arms in those two countries. The memo I read did mention Mexican business men, so I was more inclined to believe that whoever had attacked me was related to that.  
  
Now the police were asking a lot of questions. They had come to the conclusion that whoever had tried to kill me had carefully planned the attempt. They were even suggesting that whoever had pulled the trigger hadn't meant to kill me but simply scare me. It made sense to me, since if they'd really wanted to kill me they'd had plenty of opportunities to do so before hand. I refused to tell the police anything about the memo, however. That was an internal Kaiba Corp. matter and I was going to deal with it myself. Besides, if the media got wind that there was internal instability at the company, they'd have it splashed all over the news, which would not bode well for the company stock.  
  
The thing that really caught my attention about the police report was that the limousine I'd been in had not been bullet proof. Due to the nature of my business and the enemies I made since I took over Kaiba Corporation, I insisted that all of my vehicles be protected. I hadn't wanted to take a chance with Mokuba, so I made sure that every vehicle I owned was bullet proof and tamper proof.  
  
"Not that it did any good. A stupid playground accident killed him anyway."  
  
The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I clamped down on my bottom lip to keep from uttering any more. I suddenly felt very bitter at the circumstances that had taken my brother's life. After everything we had survived at the orphanage, and then while we were with Gozaburo, why did it have to come down to a stupid bar on a school playground? I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts. I didn't have the time to dwell in regrets and self pity. Mokuba was dead, that was the bottom line.  
  
I pulled my thoughts away from my brother and back to the matter of the limousine. It hadn't been bullet proof, which would explain how a bullet killed my driver. The thought that someone knew enough about me to know to switch my limousine without my driver becoming aware of it was frightening. Just who was I dealing with here? I doubted that two executive number crunchers would have the intelligence or patience to go through this much trouble to scare me, so someone else had to be involved. The question was who.  
  
When I got to Kaiba Corporation, I parked in my regular spot and hurried out of the vehicle. I'd forgotten that I was injured, and my body decided to rudely remind me by choosing that moment to stop working properly. My knees buckled and my vision flickered in and out of focus. I reached out with my good hand, hoping to grab onto the still open door, but caught only air. I started to fall and would have hit the ground if not for someone grabbing onto my outstretched arm and my waist, holding me up. I was too worried about regaining my senses to bother pulling away from the unwanted touch. Instead, I focused on breathing and getting myself back to normal.  
  
"You should be resting."  
  
The woman's voice brought me out of my haze and I raised my head to find a tall, dark haired woman looking at me in concern. She was still shorter than me, but seemed to have no difficulty holding onto most of my weight. She looked familiar, and I knew that I should probably recognize her, but her name escaped me at the moment.  
  
"I'm fine," I said and pulled away from her.  
  
I schooled my features into an expressionless mask and went about getting my briefcase out of the car. I locked the car and turned around, expecting the woman to be long gone, but instead found her still standing beside the car, her arms crossed.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" I asked, my annoyance showing up in my tone despite my efforts to keep it away.  
  
She shrugged. "I'm waiting for you. You don't seem entirely ready to come back to work, but since you're here, I might as well at least make sure you make it to your office without injuring anything else."  
  
I glared at her, clenching my jaw and my hands at her forwardness. Who the hell did this woman think she was? I winced when the motion shot a bolt of pain up my injured arm, but that only focused my anger. What right did this woman have to involve herself in something she had no business being involved in? I picked up my briefcase and walked away. I was at the elevator when she spoke again.  
  
"You're not going to accept my help freely, are you Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
I stopped and slowly turned around to face her.  
  
"I didn't ask for your help, Ms..." I trailed off when I realized I still didn't know who she was.  
  
"I'm Midori Yamaguchi, Mr. Shishio's assistant."  
  
That caught me by surprise. I certainly hadn't expected to run into Shishio's assistant on my first day back. She was annoying and pushy, definitely not someone I was going to let get under my skin.  
  
"Well, then, Ms. Yamaguchi, I didn't ask for your help."  
  
She didn't say anything. Instead, she walked towards me and stopped when she'd reached my side. She pushed the call button for the elevator, and then turned to me.  
  
"That's too bad, because you're going to get my help whether you want it or not."

* * *

By the time I'd caught up on everything I'd missed while I was in the hospital, it was well past three in the afternoon. My head was pounding, but whether that was because of my concussion or the fact that I'd skipped both breakfast and lunch, I couldn't tell. I could have gotten out of my office and gone to the commissary to get food and a couple of aspirin, but I didn't want to waste the time. I had yet to start the search for Shishio and Spencer's plans, and the day was getting shorter.  
  
A buzz startled me out of my reverie and I punched the intercom button on my phone violently.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Mr. Roberts is here to see you, Mr. Kaiba. He says he needs to talk to you about the convention."  
  
I sighed. This was someone who I needed to talk to, I just didn't want to talk to him at that moment.  
  
"Send him in, Kagome."  
  
I might as well get it over with. I lowered the screen on my laptop and turned to the door, where Jonathan Roberts entered and stood uncomfortably. He was relatively new to the company, having transferred to Japan from the United States only three months earlier. He was the head of research and development and had come highly qualified. I trusted him as much as I trusted anyone. The man's intelligence almost matched my own, and it was always refreshing to hold a conversation with him. I could only imagine what he'd heard about me, because he always seemed like a deer trapped in headlights when he was around me.  
  
"You wanted to speak to me," I said when it became apparent that he would not be starting the conversation. I motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs in front of my desk, and he did so.  
  
"How are you feeling, Mr. Kaiba? I heard about what happened while I was still at the convention. We were all very worried about you."  
  
I looked at him carefully, my life having taught me never to believe what people told me, never take them at face value. My first instinct was to not believe Roberts' words, believe that he was just being nice because I was his superior, but a good look at his face told me that he was not lying. I had to remind myself that despite what I liked to believe, not everyone in the company hated me. Mokuba had spent years trying to tell me that but I never paid much attention to him while he'd been alive. Maybe I should start now.  
  
"I'm doing fine, just trying to catch up with everything," I finally said. "I read your report about the unveiling of the new dueling platform. I am very pleased with the response it received."  
  
Roberts smiled. "Yes, it was incredible. The place was packed a half hour before the unveiling," he said, excited. "You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when we demonstrated the use of the new platform. The monsters were so real that people were actually reaching out to touch them."  
  
I smiled, satisfied that years of work had paid off. The new dueling platform, not too dissimilar from the dueling disk, used state of the art holograms, again not unlike the dueling disk, to project the monsters. This new platform, unlike the dueling disk, used area wide environmental holograms, so that instead of just projecting a monster, the platform projected any type of environment you wanted, complete with sights, sounds, odors, and whatnot. This new environment made the monsters appear lifelike and very solid, and it submerged the duelist in the duel's environment, like the virtual gaming system, which was not yet available for marketing.  
  
"I have no doubt that this platform will be a success when we finally release it."  
  
I looked at Roberts and could tell that there was something else on his mind.  
  
"What is it?" I asked.  
  
"We still need a name for the platform."  
  
I took a deep breath, and then released it. Yes, we definitely needed a name. As project designer and company owner, it fell to me to pick one. However, so much had been going on in the last few weeks that I hadn't even thought about it. I had intended to let Mokuba pick a name for this particular platform, but that wasn't possible anymore.  
  
At the thought of my brother, my eyes strayed to a framed photograph of the two of us taken a few years back at one of Mokuba's school functions. He was grinning from ear to ear and had his arms wrapped around my waist. In contrast, I was standing stiffly, my hand on Mokuba's shoulder, smiling slightly. I kept the picture in my office because Mokuba had been so happy that day, and seeing his face in that picture always made me happy. Looking at it now, I wished that I could have shared in his happiness a little more that day. It was useless to think about that now, however, since Mokuba was dead. He was gone forever, with nothing but my memory to keep him alive. He'd always be immortal in my mind, even if he was no longer physically present.  
  
I raised my eyebrows at that last thought... that was it. This gaming platform would be my tribute to my brother, even if I was the only one to ever know the meaning behind the name.  
  
"Well name it _Fumetsu No_****," I finally said. I gave the smiling Mokuba in the picture a small nod, confident that I'd made the right choice.  
  
"Immortal... I like it," Jonathan replied with a smile. "It's simple, catchy, and we definitely hope that it'll be immortal. Do you want me to go ahead and make it official?"  
  
"Go ahead. The name suits the product just fine."  
  
Jonathan nodded his agreement, and got up.  
  
"Thank you for your time. I'm glad to see that you're doing well."  
  
"Keep me informed," I said.  
  
He nodded and walked out of the office, leaving me alone once again with my research.

* * *

Four hours later, I was no closer to finding out what Akira Shishio and Brandon Spencer were up to. Officially, there were no records of their dealings. I hadn't expected for there to be. Unofficially, there had been a lot of e-mails exchanged between the two of them in the past three months. A lot of the e-mails were business related, since they both had to coordinate budgets and such for the two branches of Kaiba Corporation, but a lot of them were short, cryptic, and downright suspicious. They both mentioned transfers and accounts several times, which made me very interested in their bank accounts. I'm sure I could hack into a couple of bank databases and find out just what they were hiding.  
  
Getting to their respective offices would be a good idea as well, since I was sure they'd be keeping records of their activities there. My secretary had picked up a memo from Shishio's desk, after all, which made me wonder just what else was in that man's desk. Getting to Spencer's would be a bit more difficult, but a trip to the United States was not out of the question.  
  
A knock on my door startled me out of my plans and I frowned, wondering why my secretary didn't just announce the visitor. I looked up to find that it was no longer daylight outside. I glanced at the clock and was surprised that it was well past seven.  
  
"Yugi," I exclaimed, suddenly remembering that I was supposed to go pick him up at school. "Damn."  
  
I got up from my chair, fought the dizziness that caused me and started to head out, when a memory of a similar day just a few weeks ago assaulted my senses. I'd been running late the day Mokuba died as well. I'd forgotten to pick him up at school, and had been irritated with him for not being ready to go when I finally got there and delaying me even further. The last conversation I'd had with my brother involved me yelling at him, distracting him and causing him to fall, which was something that I'd never, ever forgive myself for.  
  
I heard the knock again and went to open the door. I was very surprised to find Yugi standing there, his arms crossed, looking at me in mock indignation.  
  
"You forgot to come pick me up."  
  
I was unable to swallow the lump in my throat, so I simply nodded. Yugi must have seen something in my face, because his expression shifted to one of concern.  
  
"Kaiba, are you okay? I was just kidding."  
  
I couldn't say anything. I wasn't really seeing Yugi at that moment; instead, I was watching as Mokuba fell to his death.  
  
"Kaiba?"  
  
Yugi grabbed my hand and steered me over to the leather couch by the door. He sat me down and took a seat beside me. He held on to my hand tightly, as if willing me to come back to reality with the touch.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said when I finally got my voice back.  
  
Yugi patted my hand comfortingly. "You weren't here just now, were you?"  
  
I shook my head and looked at the carpet underneath my feet. I didn't really want to talk about it, but my chest felt as if it would explode if I didn't say something. Who better to confide in than Yugi?  
  
"I was running late the day Mokuba died. I'd forgotten to pick him up and I was annoyed at the delay." I stopped talking for a moment, forcing my voice to lose the tremble it had acquired over the course of the conversation. "I yelled at him, Yugi. The last thing he took from this world was his older brother yelling at him."  
  
Yugi wrapped his arms around my neck.  
  
"Mokuba knew that you were much more than that, Kaiba. He wouldn't have stuck around to help you cope with his death if he'd resented you or been angry," Yugi said, his voice slightly muffled from where his head was pressed against my shoulder. "You were everything to him. I don't think Mokuba could hate or resent you even if he wanted to."  
  
Yugi squeezed my neck once, before releasing me. I finally looked him and smiled slightly.  
  
"Thanks, Yugi. It's just going to take a while to make sense of this," I said. I took both of his hands in mine and gently squeezed them. "I am sorry for forgetting to pick you up."  
  
Yugi shrugged and gave me one of his smiles. "It's okay. I walked home to get my grandfather and then took the bus to your house. Thanks for fixing grandpa's car, by the way. The repairs couldn't have been cheap."  
  
I couldn't help but smile at Yugi. His presence and his attitude were incredibly refreshing after the people I'd been dealing with all day. He had a way of making me relax. He pulled me into his world and for a little while, helped me see things they way he did, which was infinitely more cheerful than I did. I loved him for that.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Yugi, it was my pleasure. I just hope your grandfather wasn't upset at you for spending the night at my house."  
  
Yugi shook his head. "He wasn't upset. Of course, I didn't tell him I'd slept in your bed. Even if all we did was sleep, he would have had a heart attack."  
  
I laughed at the image of Solomon Moto after finding out that particular piece of news. It was too funny for words.  
  
"Does your grandfather know you're here? You didn't sneak out of the house, did you?"  
  
Yugi laughed. "No, I didn't. He dropped me off here after we left your house, and I told him you'd take me home."  
  
"Have you had dinner yet?" I asked, getting an idea.  
  
"No, I haven't. Have you?"  
  
I shook my head. I wasn't going to tell him that I hadn't had anything to eat all day, because I didn't want the lecture that would surely follow.  
  
"There is an excellent seafood restaurant that overlooks the harbor. Why don't we stop there and get something to eat?"  
  
Yugi thought about it for a moment and then agreed.  
  
"Great. Let me pack up and we can get out of here."  
  
A few minutes later, Yugi and I were on our way to the elevator. Nervously, I shifted my briefcase to my right hand, and took a hold of Yugi's hand with my left. He glanced up at me and gave me a bright smile, and my nervousness evaporated. His hand tightened around mine, and we would have made it to the elevator undisturbed, if it hadn't been for a voice behind us.  
  
"Seto, I didn't think I'd see you back at work so soon after your accident."  
  
I released Yugi's hand so I could turn around and face the owner of the voice, even though I already knew who it was.  
  
"You know what they say, Akira, wild horses, or an attempt on my life, could not keep me away," I retorted, my voice dripping with cynicism. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yugi glance up at me in concern at my words, but I didn't pay him any attention at that moment.  
  
Akira laughed and walked up to us. He extended his hand towards Yugi. "I'm Akira Shishio, chief financial officer."  
  
Yugi took the offered hand, but his face was guarded and suspicious, which is a look I didn't remember seeing on his face before.  
  
"Yugi Moto. I'm one of Kaiba's friends from school."  
  
Shishio smirked as he shook Yugi's hand. He released Yugi and turned to look at me. "A friend, I see," he said, a coy grin on his face as he looked from Yugi to me.  
  
I took a step forward and slightly to my right, putting Yugi partially behind me.  
  
"What are you still doing at the office, Akira, some extracurricular activities?" I asked, my voice edged with barely concealed anger.  
  
Standing in front of this man, knowing that he could be the cause of what had happened and was very likely still plotting against me and my company made my blood boil. I wanted nothing more than to punch him or tell him that I knew what he was up to, but I couldn't. I had to bide my time and get all the information I could first, before finally confronting him.  
  
He chuckled and patted my arm, the one still in the sling. "Don't worry, Seto, I see that you have some extracurricular activities of you own planned tonight," he said and glanced at Yugi. "Go on home, or wherever you were going to go. I'll take care of things here while you're gone."  
  
I winced at the pain his hand caused, but quickly wiped it off my face.  
  
"I'm sure you'll take care of things, Akira," I said, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Good night," I said and pulled Yugi to the elevator.  
  
One look at Yugi's face told me that this night was going to turn out longer than I thought.  
  
I had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

According to Webster's New World Japanese dictionary, _fumetsu no_ means immortal. I thought it was fitting, considering what song I used for the first chapter.  
  
Yikes, this chapter was shorter than I thought. Sorry about that!  
  
**Next up**: Kaiba and Yugi's first date (all together now: awwwww). I'm so excited! Yami might actually make an appearance here too (yay!). 


	6. A Night to Remember

Greetings! Here is the next chapter of this story, Kaiba and Yugi's first date! I have to say that I've never, ever written any slash/yaoi before, so I'm very nervous about this chapter. I hope it doesn't completely suck. If it does, I apologize ahead of time.  
  
I gave my fellow Rurouni Kenshin fans (who guessed where all the names came from) a preview a couple of chapters ago. I thought it'd be interesting to give it to you all as well and see what you do with it:  
  
--There will be a trip to the United States (San Francisco) and a trip to Mexico (Teotihuacan).  
  
--Shishio and Spencer are not trying to take over Kaiba Corporation. What they're doing involves money, illegal activities in Mexico, and some very unsavory characters.  
  
--Yugi is most definitely going to get involved in this whole affair.  
  
--One of the characters will get shot (not Seijuro, he's already dead).  
  
--There will be a new CEO of Kaiba Corporation halfway through the story.  
  
=rubs hands in anticipation of writing the rest of the story=  
  
So there you have it. This is only a bit of what I have planned... stay tuned to find out how it really goes!  
  
Reviews:  
  
**Mimiheart**: I'm having a lot of fun with Yugi and Kaiba, more than I expected. I don't know why, but they're great to write.  
  
**Tuulikki**: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Unfortunately, I couldn't fit Yami into the 'date' scene. It just would have ruined it. But he will make an appearance soon. After all, he and Kaiba have to have a little talk.  
  
Thanks for the info on 'fumetsu'. I thought along the same lines you did, since I do know what 'no' is used for in the Japanese language. I looked it up on two different dictionaries and it gave me the same thing. However, since it'll be an immortal duel system (fumetsu no duel) it works!  
  
**MotherChowGoddess**: Morning! Hmmm, the frying pan of doom... I like that. I think Shishio deserves it for being such a nuisance. And that's only after one appearance. Just think that he's only going to get worse. Wait until you meet Spencer... he'll be just as bad.  
  
You can find most of the Japanese DVDs on eBay. They're usually sold by people in China. I think that's the only way to get the original Japanese subtitled, because the Japanese don't do it. If you're interested in translations of the later manga chapters (through the end of the manga), and the new Yu-Gi-Oh! R series, you can check out Jenniyah's Scanlations (link on my bio page). Her group does an awesome job of translating.  
  
**Verdragon**: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I've tried looking for Kaiba/Yugi fics too and sadly have found way too few. Most of them have Yami thrown in for good measure, which while not entirely undesirable, I'd prefer to have him not there for a few of them. If you know of any good ones, please let me know!  
  
**Shadowwaker**: cackles evilly Shishio's comment was more slanted towards the fact that Yugi and Kaiba are gay. You know, like saying 'a friend' when you really mean 'my boyfriend' or 'my partner'. However, it did have something to do with Yugi being close to Kaiba.  
  
I'm sorry about making you cry!! I didn't mean it, really... -pats shadowwaker on back- But I am sort of proud that the story can have that much of an impact.  
  
**Amiasha Ruri**: Aww, that sucks about the quote. I'll have to find another good one to use, then. I hope you enjoy the date... I'm afraid it turned out a bit too fluffy (never thought I'd use that word to describe my writing).  
  
**S.K. Hashmi**: Yup, it was short. The last chapter was only 7 pages, when my usual length is of 10 pages. I'm very limited in this story, because it's only Kaiba's POV. I can write less, since I run out of things for him to do   
  
I always do research when I write about things I don't know about. I haven't researched this story yet, but I will need to for later chapters. The gun thing is just common knowledge. Most countries have weapons that only they use, especially when it comes to the military. I'm from Mexico, so I know that the Mexican and American militaries do use different kinds of weapons. I am assuming that Japanese military weapons are different as well. I know that swords were (from watching Rurouni Kenshin. They always mentioned that Japanese swords were better made than European and American swords) so I assumed that Japanese guns are as well. I just wanted it to be blatant that whoever had attacked Kaiba was not Japanese, and the gun seemed the best way to do it. Mexico will have a part in this story (hence the Mexican gun) and I just wanted to introduce it early on).  
  
**Saiyan Jedi**: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.  
  
**Hobbit13**: Free food? Count me in! I think I could have a nice life at the funny farm, as long as they let me have my computer and my YGO DVDs...  
  
You made a good comparison when you compared Seto's grief to a still bleeding wound. When you loose a family member, and I say this from experience, you don't ever get over it. You move on, you live life, you can even be happy again, but the loss will always hurt. You're right, Shishio is a scuzzball, and Yugi is quick to pick up on it. Kaiba already hates the guy, but seeing Yugi have the same reaction to him is another indication that Shishio is up to no good.  
  
**Kikoken**: Thank you very much for the reply!  
  
**YumeTakato**: Actually, I think only Kaiba means seahorse. Seto stands for something else... I can't remember what it is now, though. Mokuba means some kind of horse too, I think. Thanks!  
**  
The Four Random Ones**: You liked Shishio? Hmmm... he did have something to him, even if he did look like a mummy How do you know that I'm going to hurt Kaiba again? It could be Yugi... or Joey... or Shishio... the possibilities are endless goes off to think about how many people she can shoot. Aww, you don't like Yami? Do you watch the dub or the Japanese version? Yami in the dub is way too conceited and arrogant... Yami in the Japanese version is actually very caring and much better to stomach. I find the idea of Yami and Mr. Moto conspiring against Kaiba very amusing, though.  
**  
Arkana's Dark Magician Girl**: Cool name! I absolutely agree that long chapters are the best thing... I like reading stories whose chapters take me more than 5 minutes. I was reading a Rurouni Kenshin one whose chapters took me almost an hour to read, and I loved it. I don't write mine that long, but I'd like the reader to enjoy him/herself as they read.  
  
I miss Mokie too! I could do so much with him, but the story wouldn't have happened without his death. He'll make another appearance in a later chapter (a preview just for you). Yugi in the dub is just strange. He was sweet at first, but the more the series went on, the worse he got. I adore both him and Yami in the Japanese version.  
  
Predictions are rather cool, and I love to read how the readers interpret the hints I give. I'll not confirm or deny anything, though! Yugi/Yami Bakura? That sounds interesting (mainly because it's hardly ever done). Is it one where Bakura leads Yugi on and they betrays him or is it for real? I checked out your bio, but there were no stories listed. The tabloids are definitely going to have a field day with Kaiba and Yugi's date... poor Mr. Moto! Murderous Cyborg Seto, huh? That is a very apt description of the guy in chapter one. Thanks for the reviews! Sorry my reply was a bit on the long side, I just had a lot to say.  
  
Now on to the good stuff. Enjoy!

* * *

**  
Chapter 6: A Night to Remember**  
  
"Is this the place?" Yugi asked as he pulled the car into the parking lot of the restaurant.  
  
He had not given me time to even consider driving, because he'd fished the car keys out of my pocket without me noticing and planted himself in the driver's seat before I'd even gotten close enough to open the driver's door. I asked him where he'd learned to pick pockets, but he'd only grinned at me and shook his head, refusing to answer. I had a feeling Wheeler had something to do with it and was determined to talk to Yugi about it at some point.  
  
"Yes, this is it. Pull up to the front door and they'll park the car for us."  
  
Yugi stopped the car beside the front door, and was a little surprised to have someone open the door for him. His eyes widened for a moment, before his face went back to his normal, placid expression. He smiled brightly and thanked the man for opening his door. I smiled at Yugi's politeness and then glared at the man that opened my door  
  
"Good evening, sir," the man said to Yugi. "Welcome to Oceanview Place. I hope you enjoy your meal."  
  
Yugi nodded in response and walked over to me. I smiled, because Yugi looked rather cute when he was embarrassed and uncomfortable. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes were bright in the early evening light. I hid the smile as he reached me, since I didn't think he'd share in the humor of the situation. Besides, I didn't want to upset him, not before I told him what was going on, which was sure to upset him. The door to the restaurant was opened for us and we made our way inside the cozy, softly lit restaurant.  
  
"Table for two," I said to the hostess. I hadn't bothered with reservations, which were generally mandatory for this very exclusive restaurant, because I knew I didn't need them.  
  
"Certainly, Mr. Kaiba," the woman said. "Your usual table, sir?"  
  
"Yes," I replied.  
  
She motioned for a waiter, and the man showed us to a table in the corner with a view of the bay and the open ocean beyond. It was still light enough to see the last traces of the sun play over the expanse of ocean before us, and I smiled as Yugi's eyes widened when he caught sight of it.  
  
"This is gorgeous," he whispered.  
  
I nodded in agreement and turned to the still waiting waiter.  
  
"What would you like to drink, sir?" he asked.  
  
"Yugi?" I asked as he took his seat across from me.  
  
He shrugged. "Whatever you're having."  
  
"Could you just bring us some of your Jasmine tea?"  
  
"Certainly, sir," he said and placed two menus in front of us. He bowed and left to get our tea.  
  
I looked at Yugi, an eyebrow raised as he shifted in his seat. "Are you uncomfortable?"  
  
He looked at me sheepishly, and his cheeks got even redder. His bottom lip was sticking out in a small pout, and it took all of my self control not to pull him towards me and kiss him. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I watched him, and there must have been something in my eyes because he finally settled down in the seat.  
  
"What?" his tone came out slightly defensive. "Is it wrong to feel a bit out of place here?"  
  
"This restaurant is no different than any other, Yugi," I said, still smiling. "I'll admit that the staff is a bit overwhelming the first time you're here."  
  
Yugi frowned. "Then why are you laughing at me?"  
  
I chuckled. "I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at myself, actually."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I was laughing because I kept thinking that you look incredibly cute when you're uncomfortable."  
  
Yugi's expression was blank for a moment, before a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. "Really?" Yugi said, his voice soft and slightly husky as his lips curved into a soft smile. "Maybe I think you look incredibly cute when you're authoritative and in control."  
  
I had taken a sip of the water the waiter had left for us, and promptly choked on it at Yugi's statement. His eyes widened and his face immediately reflected concern as I began to cough. I waved him off as I desperately tried to get the water out of my lungs. When I was finally able to breathe again, I could feel the heat in my cheeks.  
  
"Now who's uncomfortable?" Yugi quipped.  
  
The waiter arrived with our tea. It took us a bit, but we finally managed to decide what we wanted to eat. Yugi settled for a dish consisting of a mixed assortment of seafood and some rice, while I chose a dish of salmon and fresh vegetables. The food was brought out to us rather quickly, and we ate our meal in silence, both of us simply enjoying the other's company.  
  
I honestly can't remember the last time a meal tasted as good as this one did. I enjoyed every bit of it as if it were the first time I'd had it. I hadn't realized I was hungry, until I took my first bite. After that, it didn't take me long to finish the entire dish. Yugi must have been similarly famished, because he finished quite fast as well.  
  
As the waiter cleared our plates, he asked if we wanted any dessert.  
  
"Do you like chocolate?" I asked Yugi.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"They have an excellent English chocolate cake here. Would you like to try some?"  
  
"Yeah, that sounds good," he agreed.  
  
"Would you like coffee to go with that, or just tea?" the waiter asked, looking at the both of us curiously. Whatever the man thought, I knew he wouldn't dare say anything.  
  
I chuckled. "Yugi, do you drink coffee?" I asked, feeling a bit foolish for not knowing anything about my date.  
  
"Yeah, I do, even though my grandfather hates it," he added, smiling.  
  
"Coffee it is, then," I said, and the waiter left to bring dessert and coffee.  
  
We were silent for a while, until Yugi broke it.  
  
"Okay, you've put it off long enough, Kaiba. What's going on? What was that accident really about? Was it really an accident?"  
  
I sighed. I really didn't want to involve him in this, because it was bound to get messy and I didn't want him to get hurt. However, after my slip up with Shishio earlier, and the comments we'd both made, I couldn't blow the incident off as a mere accident anymore. Even if Yugi didn't currently know that my limousine had been shot at, one look at the local news would tell him, which would only bring on more questions. Still, I hated to bring him into the middle of something not even I understood. I sighed again.  
  
"No, it wasn't an accident. Seijuro, my driver, was shot in the head, which killed him instantly. I'm not sure if the bullet was meant for me or for my driver, but in either case, the limo crashed and I was injured," I said, pointing to my injured shoulder and my head.  
  
Granted, I hadn't told Yugi the entire truth, but I'd told him enough to satisfy his curiosity, or so I hoped. If I knew Yugi, he'd resent my keeping things from him more than my not being entirely forthcoming with the information. Besides, I planned on having the situation resolved very soon, and I didn't see a need to completely involve him.  
  
Yugi looked at me intently, his expression solemn.  
  
"You told that man, Shishio, that you'd survived an attempt on your life, as if he'd know something about it. Does he? You can't tell me now that you don't know if the bullet was meant for you, because you seemed sure of it when we were at Kaiba Corp."  
  
I had always known that Yugi was smart; I just didn't think he'd catch the holes in my story so quickly. I would have given him a couple of days, not a couple of minutes.  
  
"Shishio is a nuisance, Yugi, nothing more," I explained, making my voice as neutral as I could. "I wanted to get a rise out of him, that's all."  
  
Yugi took a sip of his coffee and looked out of the window for a moment. I could see that he was tense, and I hated the fact that I'd made him feel that way. I didn't want him to worry about me. There was nothing to worry about, anyway.  
  
"I don't like him, Kaiba," Yugi said, turning his attention back to me.  
  
"What?" I asked, not sure who he was referring to.  
  
"Akira Shishio. I don't like him. He gives off an aura of superiority and selfishness, besides he seemed like a real creep and he really hates you."  
  
I looked at Yugi intently, amazed that he'd pegged Akira Shishio down exactly. Yugi had only associated with the man for a short amount of time, and yet he'd been able to discern all of that from him.  
  
"You seem surprised, Kaiba."  
  
I shrugged. "You never cease to amaze me. Shishio is all of the things you said, but he's not smart enough to try anything. He's old and has no future outside of my company. I wouldn't worry about him if I were you, Yugi. I can handle it."  
  
"Can you really handle it?"  
  
We were silent for a moment, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Yugi continued to look at me and I couldn't help but feel grateful that I had him in my life.  
  
"Look, Yugi, this situation is under control," I said, "It will be dealt with very soon."  
  
He didn't say anything, just continued to sip his coffee and look at me.  
  
"What'll happen in the mean time, Kaiba?" he finally asked.  
  
I frowned. "What do you mean, what will happen?"  
  
Yugi shrugged. "Not to sound too corny or anything, but we just got this started," he explained, gesturing to the two of us. "You're already hurt because of this 'incident'. What's going to happen next? Is whoever tried to kill you going to realize you're not dead and come after you again?"  
  
The worry in his voice touched me like nothing had since Mokuba's death. No one but my brother had ever cared enough to worry about me, which had always made me feel as if I were unimportant to everyone but Mokuba. When he'd died, he'd taken me with him, until now. Yugi's face radiated nothing but caring and concern, and it warmed my heart in ways that not even Mokuba had been able to.  
  
"They won't, Yugi. I will take care of everything, I promise."  
  
He raised his eyebrows, obviously unconvinced by my arguments.  
  
"You may be one of the most powerful men in the world, Kaiba, but you can't control everything."  
  
I laughed, and covered Yugi's hand, which was wrapped around his coffee cup, with mine.  
  
"Says who?" I asked, mock indignation in my voice.  
  
Yugi's face broke into a grin and he turned his hand so he was gripping mine.  
  
"We'll see about that, Kaiba, we'll see."

* * *

We had spent more time at dinner than we'd anticipated, so Yugi ended up driving himself home right after we left the restaurant. I felt disappointed, because I wanted to spend more time with him. When I realized this, however, I went into a state of semi panic. Never before in my life had I felt something like what I was feeling now. My normally logical mind had no explanation, and that scared me. What was I doing, getting so involved and so attached to someone?  
  
Up until now, Mokuba had been the only person I'd had any sort of bond to. I'd preferred it that way, because it meant that Mokuba was the only one who knew my deepest, darkest secrets, and because he was my brother, he would never use anything he knew against me. He'd loved me unconditionally and I'd loved him since the day he was born. That's just the way it was. I never had the need to question that love and devotion I had for my brother.  
  
Yugi, however, was another matter entirely. Did I trust him? I trusted him more than I trusted anyone else, which was saying something. Would I be willing to completely bring him into my life, share everything about me with him? Not yet. The possibility was there, since I had not answered with a resounding 'no'. That scared me, because it meant that what I felt for him was more than just what you felt for someone you knew, or even for a friend. I was unsure what I should do about it, or how I should proceed. My thoughts would have continued down the same dark path if Yugi hadn't spoken.  
  
"Well, we're here."  
  
I looked around, surprised to find myself in front of the Moto's shop. How had the almost twenty minute drive seemed so short?  
  
"Is something wrong?" Yugi asked, turning in his seat to face me.  
  
I shook my head and took a deep breath. "Nothing's wrong, Yugi. I guess I'm just worn out from the day."  
  
He nodded his agreement. "You're still in no condition to work, but since you continue to do it anyway, you should give yourself a little slack."  
  
I nodded, agreeing with the sentiment, but knowing that I wouldn't follow his advice. Suddenly, Yugi's face seemed to be radiating even in the darkness of the car's interior. I unbuckled my seat belt and turned to face him. Slowly, as if under water, I reached out and caressed his cheek. Yugi smiled and leaned into the caress, closing his eyes as he did so. I took the opportunity to lean forward the rest of the way and gently press my lips to his. I'd done this before, in Mokuba's room, but back then it had been more out of desperation than anything else. Right now, all I wanted was to feel his lips against mine and his skin against my hand.  
  
I ran my hand down his face to his neck, and he parted his lips slightly. I took the invitation and explored places I never thought I'd get to. Yugi sighed contentedly and returned the favor, while running his hands through my hair.  
  
When we both came up for air, I noticed that Yugi's eyes were slightly glazed. By the satisfied look on his face, I was able to tell that mine probably looked the same.  
  
"Nice..." Yugi whispered, his hand on the back of my neck. "I can get used to that."  
  
I smiled and leaned in for another quick kiss. "Me too."  
  
Yugi sighed, and opened the driver's side door. "I have to go."  
  
I nodded and got out of the car to sit in the driver's side.  
  
"Drive safely and get some rest, okay?"  
  
"Yes, Yugi," I said.  
  
I waited until he was inside his house before pulling away from the curb, a huge grin on my face. This had been the perfect night.

* * *

I told Yugi that I would rest, but I didn't follow his advice. Not that I didn't want to go home, lay in bed and think about the wonderful evening I'd just spent with him. I did want to do that, but our talk about Akira Shishio only served to make me want to go look at whatever he was keeping in his office. I'd hack into his bank account from my house, along with Brandon Spencer's, but I still wanted to see if I could find any incriminating evidence at the company.  
  
I didn't park at my usual spot, choosing instead to use one of the visitor's spots closer to the main entrance to the company. I was feeling worn down from the day's activities and wanted to get in and out of the company as fast as I could. It was nearly ten, and my body was feeling the stress of the day.  
  
In the main lobby, the night guard greeted me, and I waved at him as I passed. I usually ignored him, but dinner with Yugi had put me in a good mood. I made my way up to the top floor where the executive offices were located. I passed by mine, since I had no business there, and headed straight for Shishio's. I doubted the man would still be at the office, even if he did work late hours in order to coordinate better with Spencer in the United States.  
  
When I reached his office suite, I used my master code to let myself in. As I suspected, the office was dark and empty. Ms. Yamaguchi's desk was clean and free of any paperwork that might interest me, so I skipped it and made my way to the door to Shishio's inner office. The lock on that door would be a bit more complicated, since each executive was allowed a unique ID code to secure his/her office. I had personally designed and implemented the security system that ran all locks at Kaiba Corp. so I knew plenty of ways to get around the code without alerting security.  
  
After a few minutes, I was in the office. I didn't turn on any of the lights, choosing instead to use a small flashlight I'd brought with me. I also took out my cellular phone, which was equipped to take high resolution photographs, to record anything of interest. I started with the desk first. The top of it was clean, so I immediately went to the drawers. You'd think Shishio had nothing to do with the way his desk was free of clutter. Mine was piled high with reports, blueprints, and all sorts of stuff that I never seemed to work through. It made me wonder about what the man did all day.  
  
A search through the open desk drawers revealed nothing except for some snacks, pictures of his family, and assorted miscellaneous paperwork. There was, however, one locked drawer at the bottom. I took out the lock picking tools I'd brought form my car and quickly set to work on the drawer. I had it open in ten minutes, and found that the only contents of the drawer were a thick file folder. I set it on the desk and rifled through it quickly, taking photos of everything in it. I didn't take the time to look carefully at the documents, which looked to be financial statements from the company, along with some letters written in English and Spanish. One thing that did catch my eye was a copy of my schedule for the entire month, with the date of the gaming convention circled in red. If I'd had any doubts of the man's intentions, I didn't now.  
  
I put the folder back and locked the drawer. I put away my cellular phone in an inner pocket of my jacket, so that it wouldn't accidentally fall out and break. I couldn't afford to loose those photos I'd just taken. When I was sure everything was back in place, I left the office. As I turned to close the door, I heard the sound of clothes rustling directly behind me. Before I could turn around, a thick arm had wrapped around my chest, pulling me close to a tall, heavy set body. A hand clamped over my mouth so fast that it pulled my head back against someone's chin, the impact making me dizzy and disoriented.  
  
When I got my senses back, I realized I was being pushed towards a corner of the room. The man's breathing behind me was heavy, but he didn't say anything. I tripped over something and would have fallen, but the man easily picked me up and kept me upright. When we reached the corner, he pushed me into the nearest wall and pulled my arms painfully behind me. I groaned as my injured shoulder was wrenched behind me and would have said more if he hadn't beaten me to it.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

* * *

Ahh, a cliffhanger... I hadn't had one of these in a while. I bet you all missed them, ne?  
  
Next up: I'm not telling, because it would ruin the suspence! 


	7. Close Calls and Last Goodbyes

Greetings! I wanted to get this chapter out this weekend, so I sort of rushed through it. I hope it's okay regardless. I'm not going to reply to reviews this time, but I do want to say that I appreciate you all taking the time to leave one, and I enjoy hearing what you all have to say.  
  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 7: Close Calls and Last Goodbyes**  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
  
The sound of the man's voice brought a surge of anger, and I slammed my good arm backwards, hoping that my elbow would hit something vital. I smirked as my attacker hissed in pain, but instead of releasing me, he pushed me further into the wall.  
  
"If you don't let go of me right now, I will have you arrested for assault, Shishio."  
  
Shishio momentarily tightened his hold on me, before releasing me.  
  
"Computer, lights."  
  
The computer immediately complied, and the office was flooded with light. I had to squint slightly to let my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness, and was satisfied to see Shishio doing the same thing. I pushed myself off the wall and then turned to face the company's financial officer.  
  
"Well, Mr. Kaiba. Who would have thought I'd find you snooping around my office in the middle of the night," Shishio said, his voice laced with sarcasm. The man smirked and took a few steps away from me. "You really should be more careful, Seto. If I had been a security guard, you could have been seriously hurt."  
  
"Is that a threat?" I asked.  
  
The smirk on Shishio's face, along with the renewed pain in my shoulder and head, and the residual shock of being surprised served to fuel my anger. I clenched my jaw, but otherwise kept my face impassive.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed," I said as I closed the distance between myself and Shishio, "this company belongs to me, which means that this office, along with everything else in it, is mine."  
  
Shishio nodded and did not move from his spot. He was daring me to do something he could use against him later, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.  
  
"You have a good point, of course, boss," Shishio said, using the term 'boss' with as much lack of respect as he could muster. "How am I expected to do my job if I can't count on the security of my office?"  
  
"If you were doing your job, and your job only, you wouldn't have a need to worry about who comes into your office," I said.  
  
I walked away from the man and stopped just inside the door to the outer office.  
  
"What are you doing here at this time?" I asked, surprising him.  
  
The man looked around the outer office, and then shrugged. "I forgot my laptop," he answered finally. "I had some things to take care of before tomorrow, but I couldn't do that without the laptop."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't seen the laptop in the office, but then again, I hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. That was something else I was going to have to get a hold of if I wanted to be thorough in my search of Shishio's dealings.  
  
"It seems to be a bit late to be working, don't you think?"  
  
Shishio smirked again. "I could say the same thing, Seto."  
  
I returned the smirk. "I'm the boss, as you pointed out, Shishio. I never stop working."  
  
With that, I walked out of the office, slamming the door behind me. I went directly to the elevator and was relieved when the doors opened immediately. Once inside, I leaned against the wall and released the breath I'd been holding. My head was pounding, and a dull throb emanated from my jarred shoulder. My injuries were never going to heal if I didn't get the proper amount of rest, but I didn't have time to rest. I held out my hands and noticed that they were shaking slightly. Shishio had surprised and scared me more than I wanted to admit. The man was definitely up to something, and now, more than ever, I wanted to find out what it was.

* * *

"Mr. Kaiba."  
  
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I hurt all over. The second thing was that my cheek was resting against my desk. The third thing I noticed was that it was no longer dark inside my office.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, are you alright?"  
  
I groaned as I lifted my head off the desk. It felt as if it weighted thirty pounds and I had to reach out and catch myself on the edge of the desk as a wave of dizziness hit, threatening to send me to the floor. Soft hands were suddenly on my shoulders, keeping me from falling. They gently steadied me and helped me lean back on my chair.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, you don't look well. You should go back to the hospital."  
  
I finally looked up to find Kumiko, the housekeeper, staring at me with a disapproving expression on her face. Her hands rested on her hips, which was a sure sign that she was unhappy.  
  
"I'm fine, Kumiko, I just fell asleep at my desk."  
  
Kumiko was the only person who would dare speak to me in such a manner. She'd known me since I'd first come to live at the Kaiba mansion, having been the housekeeper while Gozaburo had been alive, and had, on many occasions, nursed me through my various injuries at the hands of my adoptive father.  
  
"You don't look fine, young man. You would have fallen if I hadn't caught you."  
  
Kumiko's eyes softened, and she kneeled down so that she was at eye level with me. She didn't touch me, but I could tell that she wanted to. I turned away, because I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say and I wasn't going to like it.  
  
"Seto, I know that losing Mokuba hit you very hard," Kumiko began in a soft voice, "because he was the only family you had left. Not taking care of yourself like this isn't going to bring him back."  
  
I clenched my jaw and it took everything I had not to tell her to shut up. She would have listened to me if I had, but out of everyone in the world, Kumiko deserved my respect for always treating my brother and me with kindness, even when Gozaburo told her not to.  
  
"Mokuba wouldn't want to see you hurting like this, and don't tell me that you're not, because I know you well enough."  
  
I had to chuckle at that, though it wasn't due to any humor in the situation. She had definitely been around for my 'education' at the hands of my adoptive father, so she knew all of my coping mechanisms. No one had ever been able to read me as well as Mokuba, because my brother had definitely known almost everything there was to know about me, but Kumiko came very close.  
  
She sighed. "I'm going to go tell the cook to make you breakfast, and you are going to eat it," she said. "I'll see you in the dining room in an hour."  
  
With that, she left the room. I turned my head to watch her leave, and not for the first time wished my mother hadn't died. What would it be like to have someone to go to when I was feeling sad or upset? What would it be like to completely confide in someone else, to not have to shoulder the burden of my life on my own? I snorted. Those were stupid questions at best. What was the point of longing for something I could never have?  
  
I gathered up my laptop, where I'd earlier downloaded the photos from my cellular phone, and took it up to my room. What I'd found greatly disturbed me. Shishio was keeping two copies of the company's financial record. The totals on the two did not match, because one was considerably lower than the other. That led me to investigate the company's earnings and compare them to the reports Shishio himself had given me to sign last month. They did not match either. The company was making a lot more money that I'd been told it was. What was missing was being siphoned off to an unknown place. There was no doubt that Shishio was the one taking the money, because he was the only one with the power to alter the financial records so well that he could even fool me. If I had never gone through his desk to find the duplicate report, I never would have realized what was being done.  
  
I put the laptop on my bed and made my way to the bathroom. I started the shower and took off my clothes. I hadn't looked at myself in the mirror when I got home last night, so I was surprised to find a bruise on my left cheek. I didn't remember hitting my face, but it must have happened when Shishio shoved me into the wall. My left shoulder was also bruised and swollen. I hadn't felt any pain when I'd woken up, and the fact alarmed me slightly. I should be feeling something, shouldn't I? Experimentally, I moved the shoulder and gasped when a stab of pain rushed down my arm. I grimaced at my reflection.  
  
"There's the pain," I said.  
  
I held my arm as close to my chest as I could while I showered, which made it hard to do simple things like wash my hair and body. It took me twice as long to shower with only one arm, but it finally got done. I dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt, and quickly went downstairs before Kumiko came up to look for me. I ran into her halfway down the stairs.  
  
"I was about to go drag you down to breakfast," she said, smiling.  
  
My only response was a grunt. I walked past her and into the dining room, where breakfast was already served. I wasn't hungry, but I sat down anyway, hoping that the mere fact I was here would keep Kumiko away. I placed the laptop on the table beside my plate and continued my review of everything I'd found out the night before.  
  
Shishio's bank account reflected a lot of recent activity. He'd both received and transferred large amounts of money in the past few months. I hadn't been able to trace where the money had gone, but according to the records, the money that Shishio had received had come from a company called Industrias Nacionales, S. A. de C. V. based out of Mexico City. The records reflected the money as 'business expense reimbursement', but Kaiba Corp. did not have any dealings with any companies in Mexico. Whatever expenses Shishio had accrued had nothing to do with Kaiba Corp. Shishio was being paid off to do something, and I wanted to know what it was.  
  
Now that I had some clues about what Shishio was doing, I wanted to investigate Spencer. I needed to go to the United States as soon as possible to see how much I could dig up on my other financial officer. The sound of someone clearing their throat to my right alerted me to the person standing quietly by the door, and I looked up to find Charles, the butler, watching me.  
  
"Charles, just the man I wanted to see," I said as I waved him into the room. "I need you to get the jet ready to go to San Francisco. I want to leave as soon as possible. I'd normally fly myself, but I can't with this arm." I lifted my arm for emphasis.  
  
"Very well, Mr. Kaiba. I will have the jet fueled and a pilot ready in a few hours."  
  
"Was there something else?" I asked when Charles didn't leave to do what I'd asked him to do.  
  
"Yes, there is. I hired a new driver. He's taken the limo and gone to take Mr. Moto to school as you instructed."  
  
That got me out of my chair so fast that it toppled backwards and landed on the floor with a loud crash. "What?"  
  
Charles stared at me, his eyes wide with surprise.  
  
"I had a message from you waiting for me this morning to have Mr. Moto taken to school. I sent the driver to take care of it," Charles explained.  
  
"I left you no such message, Charles," I said.  
  
I didn't wait for any more explanations. I had a sinking feeling that despite my efforts, Yugi had just been dragged into this whole mess. I ran to the garage, grabbed a set of keys off the wall where the various key chains hung, and headed for the correct vehicle. The garage door was already open from earlier when the driver had taken out the limo, which I was grateful for. If it hadn't been, I would have driven right through it.  
  
I made my way to Yugi's house as fast as I dared, not caring about who honked or cursed at me as I passed by. I narrowly avoided colliding with several cars and was on Yugi's street in record time. I didn't see my limo anywhere on the street, and as I neared Yugi's house, I noticed his grandfather out sweeping. Mr. Moto usually came out to sweep after Yugi left for school, so I didn't bother to stop. I floored it, and got out onto the main street once again.  
  
Ahead of me, I saw a glimpse of a black car heading in the direction of the high school. I followed it, honking at people to get them out of my way. I was two cars behind it when I realized that I'd found my limo. I honked, hoping it would notice me and stop, but instead of doing that, it turned down a side street and sped up. I turned immediately after it, waiting for my chance to pass it. I got it a few blocks down, but ended up scraping the side of my car on a badly placed mailbox. I had to swerve into the sidewalk to avoid a stray dog, and flattened someone's lawn accessories in the process. I barely glanced back, intent on cutting off my limo. When I cleared it, I swerved onto its lane and hit the brakes, forcing the driver of the limo to come to a stop, or plow right into me. He stopped, but not in time to avoid hitting me. The impact sent me forward, until the seatbelt caught me and stopped me from hitting the windshield. My shoulder took another beating though, and I could already imagine the bruises that were going to form across my chest and shoulder.  
  
I got out of the car and opened the driver's door. The man had unbuckled his seat belt so I had no trouble at all hauling him out. I pushed him against the hood of the car, while he struggled to get up.  
  
"Yugi, get out of the car!" I yelled, before turning to the driver. "Who the hell are you? Who are you working for?"  
  
I'd lost my patience and calm somewhere along the way, and was now seething. I pushed the man further into the hood, waiting for a reply.  
  
"Kaiba, what's going on?"  
  
I turned to find Yugi standing beside the back of the limo, his backpack in his hand, staring at me in complete confusion.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked him.  
  
He nodded. "I'm fine."  
  
Good, now that his wellbeing had been established, I turned back to the driver. "I asked you a question, now answer it!"  
  
"My name is Takeshi Suzuki," the man said, his voice muffled by the hood of the limo. "I work for you, Mr. Kaiba. I was hired yesterday."  
  
"Who hired you?" I asked. I pulled the man up off the hood, turned him around and slammed him into the side of the limo. "Who told you to come work for me?"  
  
The man's eyes were wide, and his expression was one of fear. To his credit, he stood up to me and didn't back down.  
  
"Your butler, Charles, hired me. He found me through an agency, and told me to come in to work this morning. I'm just doing what I was told to do. I didn't think I was going to get beaten up during the course of my workday."  
  
He didn't seem to be lying, which made me even angrier. He was either completely innocent or a damn good actor. I was very good at reading people, and I couldn't read any malice in this man. He seemed a bit frightened and angry at the rough treatment, but he wasn't acting like he'd planned to kidnap Yugi or anything.  
  
I released him, and he immediately straightened out his rumpled clothing. He looked at Yugi, before he turned back to me. "Now what?"  
  
I took a deep breath, willing myself to be calm.  
  
"Take the limo back to the house and have the damage repaired. I'll take care of my car later."  
  
"Are you going to fire me?" he asked.  
  
I looked at him for a moment, unsure of the answer to that. "Just go back to the house. I'll decide what to do later."  
  
I walked away from him, grabbed Yugi's arm and led him towards my car. I sat him in the passenger seat and got in behind the wheel. I kept the car where it was until the limo was out of sight, then pulled out my cell phone and dialed a very familiar number.  
  
"Charles," I said when the butler answered, "I'm sending Takeshi back to the house. Keep him there until I get back."  
  
"Is everything okay, Mr. Kaiba?" Charles wanted to know.  
  
"Everything is fine for now. Did you do a background check on him?"  
  
"Of course, sir. He checked out. That's why I hired him."  
  
I sighed. "Well, keep him at the house anyway. Don't let him leave, no matter what he says, okay?"  
  
There was a momentary silence on the other line, before Charles answered that he understood.  
  
"Oh, there's some damage to the limo," I said as an afterthought, "have it fixed."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
I hung up the phone, and came face to face with a very concerned Yugi.  
  
"Now you get to tell me what's going on," he said.  
  
I suddenly felt very tired. I didn't want to lie to Yugi. We had just started a relationship and already it was being based on lies. I was doing it for his best interest, however. He was important to me, and I wanted to keep him safe. If that meant lying to him, then so be it.  
  
"It was a mistake, Yugi, nothing more. My driver got a little overzealous and forgot that I was going to take you to school instead."  
  
Yugi's expression was one of disbelief. He wasn't stupid, and that excuse seemed lame even to me.  
  
"So you rushed all the way out here, chased down your limo, cut it off, pulled the driver out of the car, roughed him up a bit and sent him home just because he decided to come pick me up? Do you think I'm an idiot, Kaiba?"  
  
I sighed. "No, Yugi, I don't think you're an idiot," I said. "However, I do think that you're going to be late for school if I don't get you there within the next ten minutes."  
  
"You're stalling, Kaiba."  
  
I smiled. "Yes, Yugi, I am. I'm leaving for San Francisco later today, but I'll give you a call to let you know how things are. I will explain all of this to you, I promise, but for now, you're late for school."  
  
Yugi shook his head, but let it go. He got out of the car, closed the door, and leaned through the open window.  
  
"You're not going to get out of this explanation, you know that, right?"  
  
"Yes, I know. Have a good day at school, Yugi."  
  
Yugi smiled. "Have a good trip. I'll talk to you tonight."  
  
With one last wave, he was gone. I sat in the car and watched him until he entered the building, my chest tightening with each step he took away from me. I wanted to get out of the car, run after him and take him with me so that I'd know he was safe, but I couldn't do that. I was already disrupting his life enough as it was. Besides, I was only going to be gone for a few days. We'd have plenty of time to talk when I got back.

* * *

Next up: Now what fun would that be if I just told you what was coming up? I'll let you all ponder that for a week or so. 


	8. Up in Flames

Greetings! This chapter is a little late, but it took me a bit longer to write. I had to do research on the time changes across the International Date Line, which left me more confused than when I started. I think I finally figured it out, though. Tokyo is 19 hours ahead of where I live in the Unites States. I think that's pretty cool, though I can imagine being pretty out of whack when you travel across those distances. The time in San Francisco is different, and I did take that into account. I found an awesome site that explains all of this time and date craziness, so if you're interested, let me know. If enough of you want to know, I'll put the link on my bio.  
  
I'm not doing reviews for this chapter, because I sort of got distracted and spent the last two and a half hours writing _Intruders_, so now I'm all depressed and grouchy, because the story is depressing and it's an hour past my bed time and I have to go to work tomorrow. But know that I love you all for reading and reviewing! Keep it up.  
  
Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Up in Flames**  
  
By the time the plane landed in San Francisco, I felt as if I'd been run over by a truck. It wasn't that my jet was uncomfortable; I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to enjoy the trip. I was still sore from the accident, and the thirteen hour plane ride had not made my injuries feel any better. We had experienced a lot of turbulence on the way, which hadn't helped. I tried to work through most of the flight, but I was unable to concentrate. When I tried to plan out my time in San Francisco, the same thing happened. I felt uneasy; as if there was something important I should have taken care of before I left Japan. The further we traveled, the stronger the feeling got. When I finally gave up on work and settled down to stare out of the window, I realized that the feeling had to do with Yugi. I felt like leaving him had been a mistake. I should have brought him with me, despite the protests Mr. Moto was sure to have brought up. Leaving him behind felt wrong, dangerous even, and it didn't have anything to do with the incident with the driver.  
  
The limousine driver Charles hired had turned out to be nothing more than what he said he was. Both Charles and I had interrogated him for a few hours, but the man had not budged from his story. I am a very good judge of character and even as I was manhandling the man that morning, something told me that he was telling the truth. No, whoever had left the message for Charles in my name was to blame, and I'd left Charles in charge of interrogating the entire staff at the mansion to see who could be working for someone else. The thought of a spy in my mansion frightened me, because now there was nowhere to go where I could feel safe.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, there is a car waiting to take you to the hotel."  
  
I nodded to the pilot and slowly got to my feet. My shoulder ached, as did my chest and side. I wrapped my arms around myself and I must have said something, because the pilot took a few steps closer to me and reached out to help me up. The man stopped before he actually touched me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw fear flash through the man's face at what he'd almost done. Instead of making me angry, the reaction brought deep sadness. Am I so horrible that no one wants to touch me? I shut the thought down before it could go any further and concentrated instead on staying on my feet. I picked up my briefcase and walked to the door, never once looking at the pilot or acknowledging that I'd seen his reaction.  
  
"What are your orders, Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
"Keep the jet on standby in case I have to leave in a hurry," I said when I reached the exit. "I will let you know when we're heading back to Japan."  
  
I left the pilot to take care of the jet and concentrated instead on making my way to the car. I was exhausted. It was late morning in San Francisco, but to me it felt as if it should be the middle of the night. I never got jetlagged, so I attributed my tiredness to my injured body. Maybe I should have stayed in the hospital a little longer. I chuckled to myself as I got into the car, thinking of Yugi's lecture on the matter. He'd definitely wanted me to stay a little longer.  
  
The ride to the hotel was mercifully short. San Francisco is a busy city, but at this time of the day, traffic was down to a minimum. I drifted off to sleep a few times during the trip and only woke up when the driver had to stop suddenly to avoid hitting the crazy drivers that darted into his lane. The driver tried to make conversation, as he usually did, but I didn't have the desire to listen, much less respond, to what he was saying and halfway to the hotel, he gave up on it. Once we reached the hotel, the driver assured me that he'd have my luggage, along with anything else I required, sent up to my room. I nodded in acknowledgement and bypassed the lobby, heading straight for the elevators. When I came to San Francisco, I always stayed at this hotel. When I'd called to reserve the room, I'd asked to have a key waiting for me when I arrived at the airport, as always, and they'd complied. I had never been more grateful to skip the check in process as I was today.  
  
Once inside my room, I didn't bother to change clothes or take a look out the window at the beautiful view. Instead, I headed straight for bed and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

_The room around me was engulfed in flames. The fire roared in every direction, crackling as it ate everything in its path. Beams and other pieces of debris fell around me, but none touched me. The fire, which should have been scorching, felt like a summer breeze to me. I should be burning along with everything else, but I was not. It was as if I were being protected by some unseen force. Experimentally, I reached out to touch the flames, expecting the pain that came with being burned. Nothing happened. The flames felt like nothing but air to me.  
  
I looked around, but could not see much beyond the roaring flames. What little bits I did manage to see were unfamiliar, so I couldn't place where I was. I moved about the room, trying to get to the end of it, but the flames kept spreading and the room kept growing around me so that it wouldn't end. Suddenly, a beam fell to my left, which made me jump a bit in that direction. When I turned, I caught a glimpse of a room beyond the flames; a room that was bright, empty, and devoid of fire. The flames that lapped at the doorway of the room fizzled, as if water had been poured on them. Curious, I walked through the flames and stood just outside of the room. I held my hand in front of the doorway and felt a slight tingle, as if a force field had been put on the door. Shrugging, I walked through the door, pleasantly surprised when nothing happened. Smiling, I turned back to the door, only to find that it was gone. A white wall had taken its place.  
  
I turned my head in every direction and saw nothing but white tiles and white walls. There were no windows, just a room that went on in every direction as far as the eye could see. After I'd been there a few minutes, a child's laugh reverberated through the room, giving me goose bumps. The sound was so loud and so clear that I turned around, expecting someone to be standing behind me, but I found no one in the room with me. The laugh came a second time, a sweet, innocent sound filled with childish glee. Again, I turned around, but there was no one in the room with me. By the time I heard the laugh a third time, I knew who the laugh belonged to. I hadn't heard it like I was hearing it now in a number of years, but the laugh was still unmistakable.  
  
"Mokuba, where are you?"  
  
Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then I heard the laugh again. This time, when I turned around, I saw exactly what I expected to see: my five year old brother. Mokuba was grinning and holding a bright, red ball in his tiny hands. Mokuba's laugh had changed when we had gone to live at the orphanage, since my little brother had been forced to grow up in circumstances he couldn't understand. The Mokuba standing in front of me now was still innocent, young, and completely care free, just as he'd been while our parents were still alive.  
  
"Play with me, Seto."  
  
Mokuba's request brought tears to my eyes, because a part of me knew that I was dreaming, that Mokuba was dead, and that he would never ask me that again. Even though I knew that, I chose to ignore it and enjoy the time I'd been given with my brother.  
  
"Sure Mokuba, let's play."  
  
He threw me the ball, and then stepped a few feet away from me so that I could throw the ball back at him, giggling the entire time. I grinned and threw him the ball, praising him as he caught it and threw it back. I lost track of the time we spent playing and I would have gone on playing with him, if I hadn't suddenly realized that Mokuba was moving further and further away from me.  
  
"Mokuba, why are you moving away?"  
  
Mokuba dropped the ball and hugged himself tightly. The ball rolled until it was lying by my feet, waiting to be picked up and played with once again.  
  
"I have to go, Seto," Mokuba replied.  
  
"Why? Where do you have to go?" I asked. I didn't want my brother to leave me.  
  
"I love you, big brother, but I don't belong with you anymore."  
  
With that, Mokuba ran away. I yelled at him, told him to stop, but he didn't listen. I ran after him as fast as I could, but it was not fast enough. As he moved away, his body became less solid, until Mokuba had disappeared completely. His absence left me feeling as alone and as empty as I felt the day I'd buried him, which brought tears to my eyes. I wiped them as they fell, angry at my weakness. I had already mourned my brother. I wasn't going to start doing it again.  
  
"Kaiba."  
  
I jumped a bit at the sound of my name, having missed the fact that someone else was now in the room. I turned around, expecting to be met with nothing but empty air like it happened with Mokuba, but found myself looking at Yugi instead. Yugi's eyes had narrowed, and for a moment I thought I was looking at Yami. Yugi smiled, however, which dispelled the illusion.  
  
"Yugi, what are you doing here?"  
  
Yugi shrugged and looked around the large room. "This is an interesting place, don't you think?"  
  
I took another look around the room and saw nothing interesting about it.  
  
"It's a large, white room, Yugi. What is interesting about it?"  
  
Yugi shrugged again. "You can't hide anything here, because white hides nothing."  
  
Something about Yugi's demeanor, his posture, and the way he looked at me made my stomach churn with anxiety. It wasn't anything that I could pinpoint, because he was smiling, but there was something in Yugi's eyes that told me I wasn't going to like whatever it was he had to say.  
  
"Why are you here?" I asked again.  
  
Yugi sighed, and his smile faded. "I can't be with you, Kaiba," he finally said.  
  
I chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation, because I couldn't help it. "Why can't you be with me? You're already here, aren't you?" The churning in my stomach got worse as I recalled what Mokuba had said to me.  
  
"I'm only here to say goodbye."  
  
"If you can't be here with me, then where can you be? Why do you have to go? Why can't you stay?" I asked.  
  
Yugi smiled sadly. He walked to me and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.  
  
"I want to be with you, but it's not my choice to make, Kaiba. It's yours."  
  
The room changed, and we were now standing in the middle of the burning room. While before I hadn't felt the heat of the fire, I now felt the intensity of the flames as they lapped at my clothing and exposed skin, as well as Yugi's. His arms loosened around my waist and he began to slip away, even as I tightened my hold on him. He slipped through my fingers and was suddenly standing two feet in front of me. Flames had begun to crawl up his legs, destroying everything in their path. Yugi didn't seem to notice, however. I tried to move towards him, but I was rooted to my spot. I reached out, but couldn't touch him.  
  
"Being with you isn't my choice to make Kaiba, it never was."  
  
With those words, Yugi was engulfed in flames._

* * *

"No! Yugi!"  
  
I sat up so fast that my head spun. I desperately grabbed at the comforter to keep myself from falling, while my heart pounded a crazy rhythm that matched my breathing. The dream had been so real. I could still feel Yugi's arms around my waist. What had he meant when he said that the choice for him to be with me was mine and not his? I didn't understand, but I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I looked around for my cellular phone and finally found it in my briefcase. I took it out and immediately dialed Yugi's number. After the sixth ring, someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?" Yugi's sleepy voice came through the receiver loud and clear and I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the sound.  
  
I looked at the bedside clock, wondering why Yugi sounded so sleepy. It was only noon here, but that meant that it was five in the morning in Japan. Damn the time difference.  
  
"Yugi, it's me. I'm sorry to wake you up, but I forgot the time difference."  
  
"Kaiba?" Yugi asked. He sounded as if he were trying to pull his mind away from sleep even as he talked on the phone. "Are you in San Francisco already? What time is it over there?"  
  
"I got here a few hours ago, at ten. Its noon now," I said, trying to calm my still racing heart. "I just wanted to talk to you."  
  
Yugi laughed. "It's okay. I'm just glad I got the phone and not my grandfather. He wouldn't have been very happy to be woken up this early."  
  
There was a pause, and then Yugi gasped. My heart jumped to my throat, and I had to remind myself to continue breathing.  
  
"Yugi? What happened, what's wrong?"  
  
Yugi sighed. "I just went outside to get the morning paper, and guess what is on the front page?"  
  
I groaned and put my hand over my eyes. "Let me guess, a picture of you and me from the night we went to dinner."  
  
"Exactly. Now I'm really glad my grandfather wasn't the first one to wake up."  
  
"I'm afraid to ask, but what's the headline?"  
  
Life in the public eye was something I was used to. My status and reputation came with a price, and I was willing to pay it. Yugi, however, was another story. He was not used to it, and I doubted he would be willing to become a public person just because he'd started dating me. Maybe I should have warned him about the possibility before we'd even gone out. I just hadn't thought that the press would jump on it so soon.  
  
"It reads: 'Kaiba Corporation CEO Seto Kaiba Gets Intimate with Duel Monsters Rival.'"  
  
I groaned again. How did they come up with those cheesy headlines?  
  
"I'm very sorry about that, Yugi. I should have warned you. I can only imagine how much trouble that's going to cause for you."  
  
Yugi was silent for a moment, and I half expected Yugi to start yelling at me. Instead, he chuckled.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Kaiba. I'll explain things to my grandfather. Besides, I'm worried about what kind of effect it'll have on you."  
  
Now that was a surprise. I had expected Yugi to be mad at me, not worried about me.  
  
"It's okay. The press does this to me every once in a while. I doubt anyone pays attention anymore."  
  
Yugi was silent again, and I could hear him flipping through the newspaper. "At least they got all the details right, though they are speculating about whether we're friends or more than friends," Yugi said. "Won't your clients have a problem with your sexual preferences?"  
  
I sighed. "They can or they can't. I can't control what they think or what they do," I said. "Don't worry about it, Yugi, it'll be okay."  
  
"How was the trip?" Yugi asked, changing the subject.  
  
"The trip was long and exhausting, but I'm at the hotel now. I just took a nap, so I'm ready for the rest of the day."  
  
I neglected to tell him about the dream or the strong feeling I had on the way over that I should have brought him with me.  
  
"Is everything okay over there, Yugi? Has anything strange happened?"  
  
Yugi laughed. "You mean beside you chasing down your driver and manhandling him in the middle of the street or having my picture in the front page of the newspaper?"  
  
I chuckled, but I didn't feel the humor that Yugi felt. I was keeping him in the dark about the seriousness of the situation, which was at it should be. Hopefully I could get this whole situation resolved before anything happened.  
  
"Yeah, other than that," I said. "Have you seen anyone strange hanging around the game shop or school? Have there been any strange cars following you?"  
  
Yugi remained quiet for a long moment. I had started to think we'd gotten disconnected when I heard him sigh.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what's going on? Is there something I should be on the look out for? Was that what the deal with the driver about, did you think he'd kidnapped me?"  
  
I hated to hear the worry and uncertainty in his voice, and felt guilty at being the cause of it. As much as I hated telling him, I had to make him understand, at least a bit, why he needed to be careful.  
  
"Just keep an eye out, okay? Hang out with your friends whenever you can and try not to be alone at the shop. Just humor me, okay?" I added, when I heard him take a breath to reply to my request. "I'm not exactly sure what's going on at Kaiba Corp. but a few people have come to know that you are important to me. I just want you to be careful, that's all."  
  
Yugi didn't respond. I expected more demands for answers, assurances that he'd do what I asked, but instead I got silence. I waited a few more moments, before clearing my throat.  
  
"Yugi, are you there?"  
  
Nothing. I looked at the cell phone to see if we'd been disconnected, but the display showed that the timer was still counting, so the call was active.  
  
"Yugi?" I asked again.  
  
"Sorry, Kaiba, I was talking to Yami," Yugi finally replied. "Actually, I was trying to talk him out of getting on the phone to yell at you. It didn't work, so he's going to talk to you."  
  
I sighed. I did not need Yami involved in this, although I realized that by default, he already was. I sighed again. "Fine, put him on."  
  
There was more silence, until I heard Yami's distinctive voice clearly over the line.  
  
"What the hell have you gotten Yugi involved in, Kaiba?"  
  
I clenched my teeth to keep myself from yelling at him. My head began to pound, and I massaged my temples with my free hand while waiting for my temper to die down enough so that I could talk to him and not yell.  
  
"I haven't gotten him involved in anything, Yami," I replied, calmer than I felt. "I just want him to be careful, nothing more."  
  
"You don't just ask someone to be careful or to look out for strange people if you think everything is fine. What are you doing over there, Kaiba? What are you looking for and how does it involve Yugi?"  
  
While I might have been able to talk Yugi away from the answers he wanted, I doubted I'd have the same luck with Yami. Like it or not, I was going to have to tell him something and through him, Yugi was going to know as well. I was already on Yami's bad side, and he wasn't going to like me any better after I got through telling him what he needed to know. Not only that, but if he'd been opposed to the idea of my being with Yugi before, he was going to be downright against it now.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere until I get an answer out of you, Kaiba, no matter how much Yugi tells me to leave you alone."  
  
The last sentence seemed to be directed at Yugi, not at me, and I had to smile at the image of Yugi in the background telling Yami to go easy on me.  
  
"Yami, I don't exactly know what's going on at Kaiba Corp," I began, but Yami cut me off.  
  
"Don't try to get out of this."  
  
"Will you let me finish!" I yelled, finally exasperated at being treated like a naughty child by the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. "You want answers, so shut up and let me give them to you."  
  
I smiled in satisfaction when Yami kept his mouth shut.  
  
"As I was saying, I don't exactly know what's going on at Kaiba Corp. Whatever it is, it involves both branches, which is why I'm in San Francisco. So far, I only have embezzling involved, but that accident I was in wasn't an accident, so I'm willing to bet something else is driving these people to steal money."  
  
Yami was silent for a moment and I could almost feel his thoughts running through his head as he digested what he'd just heard.  
  
"How is Yugi involved?" Yami finally asked.  
  
"He's not, except for the fact that he's involved with me. Someone tried to kill me, Yami; I wouldn't put it past whoever it was to try to get to me through Yugi now that it's known that he's a part of my life."  
  
"What about you?" Yami asked, his voice suddenly shifting from angry to concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"  
  
I had to chuckle at the question. "You're worried about me now?"  
  
"I'm worried for Yugi's sake, Kaiba. I don't think he'd want anything to happen to you," Yami said, but he didn't sound very convincing.  
  
I smiled, thinking that the unreachable spirit might, just might, care a little bit about me.  
  
"I'll be fine, Yami. I'll be back home as soon as I get things here settled and find out what I need to know."  
  
"Very well. Be careful, Kaiba. Call Yugi and let us know what's going on."  
  
My smile widened. So the spirit did care after all. "I will, Yami. Take care of yourself and Yugi, okay? Call me if anything happens."  
  
"I will. Goodbye."  
  
The line went dead, and I stared at the phone for a moment. Yugi was safe and Yami had opened up a little. I doubted that the spirit had known what he was doing, but it had been nice to see the change. Maybe there was some hope after all. I lay back down on the bed in a much better mood than I'd been in when I woke up, and was fast asleep once again.

* * *

When I woke up, it was already dark outside. I stretched, basking in the relaxed feeling I'd woken up with. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept this peacefully and felt this rested and relaxed.  
  
I got to my feet and winced at the state of my clothing. I was going to have to change before I left the hotel room, since my previously immaculate outfit was now wrinkled and in disarray. My stomach growled as I got to my suitcase, and I realized that I had not eaten anything all day, again. I smiled ruefully at myself. No wonder I never gained any weight. With the diet I unintentionally kept, I'd never have to worry about it. I picked up the phone and ordered a light meal from the hotel's restaurant. I'd be showered and changed by the time they brought it, and eating would give me some time to plan what I was going to do once I got to Kaiba Corp.  
  
I decided on dressing down, since there would more than likely be very few people at the office at this time of the day. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt out of the bag and headed for the shower. I took my time, knowing that I had all night to do my work. It would take me a few days to get adjusted to the new time zone, so I'd be up for a long while.  
  
Dinner arrived just as I finished dressing. I ate fast and headed out, eager to get to Kaiba Corp. to begin investigating. A car was waiting for me downstairs and before I knew it, I had arrived at my company. It always shocked me that this building looked almost exactly like the one in Japan, that if I didn't look at the surrounding city, I could almost make myself think that I was still in Japan. The illusion was shattered as soon as I walked in the door and the guard greeted me in English.  
  
"It's been a while since I've seen you, Mr. Kaiba," the man said, smiling and raising a hand in greeting. "Will you be here long?"  
  
I nodded as I walked past him. "Just long enough to take care of some business," I said, and disappeared inside the elevator.  
  
I stopped by my office first to check who was still logged onto the system. The office was clean and uncluttered. Since I didn't use this particular office very often, one of the secretaries came in here once in a while and cleaned it. I'd left instructions to be kept up to date, so anything sent to me via e-mail was duplicated in paper form and filed in the office for when I came. I went to the filing cabinet and saw that everything was in order. Good, I didn't feel like yelling at any of the secretaries tomorrow.  
  
I logged on and ran a security check of the Kaiba Corp. system, which turned up no anomalies. Quite a few of the programmers and developers were still in the building, but they generally kept to the lower levels. A few of the executives were still around, but none that would get in my way. I logged off the system, made sure I had my cellular phone and the files I'd taken from Shishio's office with me, and headed towards Brandon Spencer's office.  
  
The man's office was located on the opposite side of the building as mine. It was empty, save for a cleaning lady that was taking out the trash. I ignored her and let myself in to the inner office. Unlike Shishio's office, Brandon Spencer's was cluttered, full of books and assorted sporting items. Spencer was a basketball and hockey fan, and it showed by the equipment and photos in the office. A space had been cleared on the man's desk for him to work, but every other space in the office was occupied. I knocked over several books as I walked in, but didn't bother to pick them up. How could the man work in a place like this?  
  
I searched Spencer's desk as I'd done Shishio's and found pretty much the same things. They were both the chief financial officers, after all. Unlike Shishio, Spencer was a bit more lax in his security. I found a stack of printed e-mails detailing his and Shishio's plans to embezzle money from Kaiba Corp. Shishio would falsify the financial records in Japan, while Spencer did the same here, in the U.S. The money was being funneled to an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. Spencer didn't have any details on the account, and I had a feeling that Shishio was the one behind that part of the deal. Spencer didn't have a total amount of money that had been embezzled, but all I had to do to get that was find Spencer's duplicate financial statement and do the math.  
  
The strangest thing was that Shishio and Spencer weren't keeping the money themselves. They had stolen it, smuggled it out of two countries, but had not divided it up among themselves. I rifled through the paperwork I'd brought with me to the print out of Shishio's personal account and again read the entries of the money received from that company in Mexico. If I looked at Spencer's bank account, would I find the same?  
  
I booted up Spencer's computer and set to work. After going through our payroll records, I managed to use that information to gain access to Spencer's bank account. Kaiba Corp. directly deposited Spencer's salary into his bank account, which made it easy to track the required information and saved me a lot of trouble. Looking over the activity in the account, I saw several transactions from Industrias Nacionales in Mexico City. Deposits which had later been transferred out of Spencer's account into what I now knew was a Cayman Islands account. I would love to get my hands on the records for that account, but I knew it would be impossible without someone in the Cayman's directing me to the right place. No one there would do such a thing, which was why business men who wanted to hide money deposited it there.  
  
I stretched, wincing as my joints popped. I was stiff from sitting on the desk, even though it didn't seem like that much time had passed. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see that it was three in the morning. No wonder I was stiff. Next, I turned my attention to the Internet, intent on tracking down Industrias Nacionales. The name itself was of no use, since a search returned about twenty different businesses with that name in different parts of Mexico, South America, and Spain. Narrowing the search down to companies in Mexico eliminated fifteen of those businesses, but still left me with a wide selection from which to choose from. The fact that I had no idea what the company did or what they specialized in severely set back my search efforts, but I had no doubt that given enough time, I would find what I was searching for.  
  
I finally hit pay dirt when I came across an FBI listing of convicted drug traffickers. The listing was part of an article in the Wall Street Journal Online, and it detailed the FBI's efforts in cutting down drug imports into the United States and how that particular business affected the U.S. economy every year. One of the convicted persons was said to have come from Industrias Nacionales in Mexico City. It didn't say what the company did, just that the man had been one of their executives. I printed out the article, along with Spencer's bank and financial records.  
  
As I waited for the documents to print, I felt my blood begin to boil in rage. I had worked very hard to take Kaiba Corporation from the military world of shady deals and power hungry generals to the world of games, fun, and technology. My company was one of the best in the world, and had never delved into the illegal parts of the world. My company was clean, and I had no desire to let two, money hungry executives ruin all I'd worked for. Kaiba Corporation would not be on a list like the one I now held in my hands, nor would I or any of my honest employees be caught in the illegal activities of these two men. I was not going to let it happen.  
  
I shut down the computer and put what I had just printed in the folder I'd brought with me. The sun had risen outside, but I didn't really care. I was enraged and I hoped I didn't run into anyone on my way out of the building, especially not Brandon Spencer. I still had more research to do. I had to go to Mexico City and see this Industrias Nacionales for myself. I had a feeling that if I could get into their computer system, I'd find everything I needed to know.  
  
Lucky for them, I didn't run into anyone. It was only a few minutes past seven in the morning and most executives would not be at work until eight. I had called the driver from upstairs and he was waiting for me outside of the building. I got in the car, slammed the door shut and ordered him to take me back to the hotel.  
  
The trip to the hotel was short and tense. I called the pilot and told him to get the jet ready for departure and to file a flight plan to Mexico City. At the hotel, I told the driver to wait for me, that I'd be departing as soon as I gathered my bags. People in the lobby of the hotel avoided me, which I was grateful for. I didn't want to yell at innocent bystanders, but in my current mood, I knew I wouldn't be able to help it.  
  
In my room, I turned on the television and tuned it to CNN to distract me and hopefully calm down my rage. Maybe hearing about other parts of the world would get me to think about something other than wanting to strangle both Shishio and Spencer. I took a bottle of water from the mini bar and sat in front of the television. Once the commercial was over, the anchor person of whatever news show was on came on the air.  
  
"In international news, first ranked Duel Monsters player Yugi Moto is still missing after an early morning fire destroyed his home. Japanese officials can not explain what caused the blaze or why young Mr. Moto hasn't been found. We go to Michelle Howard for more on this story."  
  
The water bottle slipped out of my fingers as news feed from Japan came on the screen. The familiar characters on the screen said pretty much what the anchor woman had just said, except that they were accompanied by video of the Turtle Game Shop engulfed in flames.  
  
"Yes, Sydney. I've spoken to officials in Domino, Japan, and they confirm that the body of Solomon Moto, Yugi Moto's grandfather, was found a few hours after the fire was put out. Yugi Moto's body, however, has not been found. An extensive search of both the debris and the surrounding area has been launched, but no word has been given on when or if they expect to find young Mr. Moto."  
  
The news feed ended, and the camera returned to the anchor woman.  
  
"Michelle, when did the fire happen?"  
  
"The fire started around six in the morning local time. A cause has not been established, but due to Yugi Moto's disappearance, officials suspect that the fire may have been deliberately set. Family and friends are mourning the loss of the elder Moto and hoping for Yugi Moto's safe return."  
  
"Six in the morning," I whispered. "That's right after I called him."  
  
My dream from the previous day came to mind. I'd seen Yugi engulfed in flames in the dream, but I never thought it would happen for real. I got off the bed and grabbed my suitcase.  
  
I had to get home. 


	9. Breadcrumbs

Greetings! Happy weekend, everybody. I was planning on posting this Friday night, but things came up and I was slightly delayed. I hope you all enjoy!  
  
Reviews:  
  
**Invader Kas**: Thanks again for reviewing every chapter. It was great to hear from you and I'm glad you are enjoying the story.  
  
**YumeTakato**: Umm... I think I'm going to go hide behind my computer before you get to the end of this chapter. /AmunRa goes to hide/  
  
**Shadowwaker**: Uh, oh... now I'm keeping you up past your bed time. At least it's a worth pastime, right, as long as it doesn't give you nightmares. This may sound silly, but sometimes I dream about what I'm writing, and it generally freaks me out. There's nothing like character torture that just seems too real.  
  
**Verdragon**: Here you go, and update! I hope the wait wasn't too long.  
  
**Millenniumgrl126**: Ahh, the mysteries of Yugi's disappearance will be revealed in due time. For now, you'll have to go along with Kaiba and see what he figures out.  
  
**Mimiheart**: Now, now, what did I say about the language? Young readers, remember? . Yikes, you're going to come after me with a spoon? I don't like the sound of that. Did you see Chronicles of Riddick? If you did, remember that scene where he kills that man with that cup? Your threat reminded me of that /shudders/.  
  
**Saiyan Jedi:** There is a very good chance that its arson... we all know how the police works, though, it's going to take a while for them to find out for sure.  
  
**Hobbit13**: You know, I've never looked at my writing that way. I guess if it's hard for me to write when I already know how it's all going to turn out; it's got to be worse for you all. I liked Solomon too, but his death had to happen. You'll find out why in about 5 chapters. I killed him once before in Blink of an Eye. I didn't enjoy doing it very much, but sometimes the evil plots call for it. Sorry!  
  
**S.K**: It's okay, I totally understand how computers can sometimes act up. I'm not home right now, so I'm posting this on my parent's computer. It's different than mine, so I keep hitting all the wrong keys. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for the review!  
  
**Amiasha Ruri**: There's been a new chapter of Intruders since I last posted this, so you should be a bit happy. Then again, considering that it ended in a cliffhanger, you might not be as happy. I'm glad you liked this chapter and hope that you like this one too.  
  
**MotherChowGoddess**: Aww, thank you very much! You made my day with this review. Yes, at the time I posted the last chapter of this, I had half of the next chapter of Intruders already written. I haven't started on it this time, because I have to work on No Kinen Ni first. Arg... I should have stayed with two continuing stories instead of three. Thanks for the encouragement and review!  
  
**Tuulikki**: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. About the time difference: I guess I didn't explain it correctly. I meant that I had to add 19 hours to whatever time it was here to get the time in Japan. Something about adding or subtracting the hours you're away from the International Date Line plus whatever hours your country uses to distinguish it's time zones. The United States has four, and I'm in the central one of those. You add 17 hours to the time in San Francisco to get the time in Japan. San Francisco is two hours behind where I am (I'm in the middle of the country), so I add the two extra hours. I'm not sure if that made sense, or if I misinterpreted the whole thing I read. Heck, just thinking about it now gave me a headache. I'm not at home right now (I'm using my parent's computer) so I don't have the link to that site I found. I'll give it to you in the next chapter I post. Thanks again!  
  
**Kikoken**: Your wish is my command. Enjoy!  
  
**Solitaire**: You're getting really excited about this story? YAY! I'm happy to hear that. It's getting a little complicated, but its fun to work on. The question about Yugi's whereabouts will be answered in this chapter. Kaiba will make it back to Japan. I'm not that cruel. I've always thought that Yami's dislike of Kaiba was just a farce to hide what he really felt for him, and I'm using this story to address that. It was really fun writing that conversation, especially from Kaiba's point of view. I thought he'd be happy to learn that Yami does like him. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Katie Torango**: Thank you very much! I'm glad that the scene with the pilot made you think about it later. I've always thought that Kaiba keeps people away, even though he really wants someone to get close to him, to see past his disguise. Until now, he'd never paid attention to how others react around him and he has no clue that he's the one that's making them back off from him.  
  
**Lightning Sage**: Thank you for giving the story a try. I'm very happy that you're enjoying it. I'm especially happy that you've come to enjoy Yugi/Kaiba pairings now. It does seem strange at first, but they're different enough, and alike in a lot of ways, that they can find a common ground to work from. I just like the idea of Kaiba, a cool, strong, loner getting involved with Yugi, who is warm, friendly, and attracts people like a magnet. They do say that opposites attract. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.  
  
**Konniwa**: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  
  
**Skippys Cat**: I'm sorry to have made you cry, but I'm glad that the writing was good enough to have gotten to your emotions. The first chapter had me in tears, as have a couple of the other ones. They just turn out that way, I guess. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope that you continue to do so. Thanks!  
  
Thank you all so much for the reviews!  
  
**Chapter 9: Breadcrumbs**  
  
Charles was waiting for me when my jet landed in Domino. I hadn't called to say I was coming home, but he must have found out from somewhere, because he was there. I felt relieved to see him, because I knew that I could trust him. I wasn't sure what I wanted to trust him with just yet, but it was good to know that I could. Whatever I needed done, he'd do it with the outmost secrecy. That thought brightened my otherwise cloudy existence, especially in regards to a certain financial officer I wanted to strangle.  
  
"Welcome home, Mr. Kaiba," he said, standing next to the waiting car. "I'll have your luggage taken to the mansion."  
  
I nodded and quickly climbed in the car. It felt good to be on the ground again, since the trip back had been worse than the trip there. My head felt as if it were about to fall off my shoulders and I wanted nothing more than to lie down on the leather seat and take a nap. I settled for resting my head against the seat.  
  
"Where to, Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
I didn't have to think twice about where I wanted to go. "The Moto's game shop."  
  
Charles remained quiet and I could feel the tension radiating off of him. He turned to look at me and the expression on his face said that he was about to tell me something I didn't want to hear. I panicked about hearing even more bad news, until I realized that Charles probably thought I didn't know about what happened to the game shop.  
  
"I know about the fire, Charles. It was in the news in San Francisco."  
  
Charles nodded and turned away, relieved that he didn't have to give me the bad news. Without another word, he started the car and headed to the game shop.  
  
I closed my eyes and tried not to let my anxiety and guilt take over. Yugi's grandfather was dead because Yugi got close to me. Yugi himself was missing, possibly injured or even dead, because of the same reason. I knew who the culprits were, but I had to make sure I had plenty of evidence against them before I made my move. Unfortunately, getting the two creeps arrested would not bring Yugi's grandfather back, even if it did bring Yugi back.  
  
"We're here, Sir."  
  
I opened my eyes, looked out of the window and gasped at what I saw. What used to be Yugi's home and his grandfather's business was now a pile of blackened ruins. The remains of the building had been piled in the center of the land where the building had stood. Stones, pieces of cement, and charred beams littered the area around the pile, blocking the sidewalk on both sides of the affected area.  
  
I got out of the car and staggered as my foot hit something. The small, half burned, square object went flying to my right. I immediately recognized it, because I had a similar math book on my desk at home. I picked it up and my throat constricted when I saw Yugi's name written in neat characters in the upper left hand corner of the book, where the fire hadn't damaged it. I clutched the book to my chest and had to fight back tears. I would not cry, not here, not in public.  
  
I got closer to the rubble and recognized a few pieces of furniture: a charred sofa, the headboard of someone's bed, one of the glass cases where Duel Monster cards had been displayed. Everything the Moto's had owned was now a pile of dust, ash, and rubble, never to be claimed again. I stared at the rubble, but I wasn't really seeing it. Instead, I was imagining what it had been like for Yugi and his grandfather to be trapped in the burning building.  
  
"Mr. Moto's funeral is today," Charles said, startling me with his sudden presence.  
  
I nodded. I knew that it was, because the date had been given in that newscast I'd seen. I had wanted to get back to Japan in time to attend the funeral, but now I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. I had no doubt that what was happening at Kaiba Corporation and what happened at the game shop were related, but I was still not sure how. Why would Shishio or Spencer want to kidnap Yugi? They didn't know that I knew what was going on, so why go to this extreme step? There were so many questions I didn't have answers to. How could I face Mr. Moto's friends, Yugi's friends, without having any answers to give them? What right do I even have to be there, when the man's death was my fault?  
  
"Do you want me to drive you there, Mr. Kaiba?" Charles asked when I didn't say anything.  
  
"How do you know where it is or that it's even today?" I asked, curious as to why Charles would care one way or another whether I went to the funeral.  
  
"When you started seeing the younger Mr. Moto, I made it my business to know everything about him and his family. It is my job, after all, to know about those that surround you," Charles stated. "I hope I did not cross a line I shouldn't have."  
  
I shook my head. It was nice to have someone looking out for my best interests, for once.  
  
"Let's go, Charles. Take me to the funeral."

* * *

The cemetery was a small one at the outskirts of the city. It was rather plain and would be easy to miss if signs hadn't been there to guide visitors and mourners. Charles followed the well sculpted and manicured trail to the back of the cemetery. He stopped the car at the base of a small hill. A group of people had gathered at the top of the hill, but no one noticed when we drove up. I got out of the car and slowly made my way to the gravesite. I immediately recognized Yugi's friends gathered around the coffin, as well as a blond haired girl that seemed vaguely familiar to me. She was gripping the hand of the older gentleman who stood beside her, whom I didn't recognize at all. A few other people I didn't recognize were also there, but none turned to face me. That was a good thing, because I didn't want to be seen. I wanted to be here, but didn't want to disturb the proceedings with my presence.  
  
I stood by a tree a few meters away from the site, quietly watching and listening to what Mr. Moto's friends had to say about him. My attention wandered to Yugi as the speaker told a story about Mr. Moto. Did Yugi know about his grandfather's death? Was he grieving right now, wishing he could be at the funeral, or was he oblivious to his loss?  
  
A startled gasp drew my attention back to the gravesite, and I found Joey staring at me with wide eyes. Tristan had also turned towards me, and his expression was even darker than Joey's. I could tell that they were both debating whether to ignore me and concentrate on the speaker or come after me and forcefully remove me from the gravesite. Joey made up his mind before Tristan, and he stormed towards me, his face a mask of rage and his hands clenched into fists. That caught the attention of the rest of the mourners, and before I knew it, everyone had turned to look at me.  
  
I cursed inwardly. This wasn't going like I hoped it would. My first instinct was to run away from the charging teenager, if only to avoid a scene, but my pride wouldn't let me do that. Instead, I stood my ground and waited for Joey to reach me. Joey, whose jaw was still wired shut, couldn't yell at me, and I could see how that was affecting him. His face was red and his eyes shone with barely controlled rage. When he reached me, Joey roughly shoved me backwards. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't have done much to me, but I was jetlagged, sleep deprived, and in pain, so my reaction time was considerably slower than normal. Joey's shove sent me staggering back. I tripped on one of the tree's exposed roots and ended up on the ground. I landed on my side and felt the breath rush out of me with the impact. My ribs complained loudly at the mistreatment and I had to smother a groan of pain. Before I could get my bearings, Joey hauled me up by the front of my shirt and was holding me so tight that it was very difficult to catch my breath.  
  
Charles, whom I'd left by the car, suddenly stepped in between us. I hadn't seen him approach, but I was glad he was there, because I didn't think I would have been able to pry Joey off of me. Charles effortlessly dislodged my shirt from Joey's grasp and pushed him away from me.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba just got out of the hospital so I'd be careful if I were you," Charles told Joey.  
  
Charles looked at me and I nodded to let him know that I was okay. He let me go and stepped to one side and slightly behind me, ready to intercede again if it became necessary.  
  
"Mister Kaiba," Tristan, who had come to see what Joey would do, said, "is the reason why we're here. If Yugi hadn't gotten involved with him, he wouldn't be missing and his grandfather wouldn't be dead."  
  
Joey continued to glare at me, and so did Tristan. Tea left the gravesite and came to see what was going on. She walked to us and stood right in front of me, daring me to say something to her. I held my tongue, because this was neither the time nor the place for insults. The rest of the mourners were staring at us, and I didn't fail to notice that most of them were glaring at me, angry that I'd come to interrupt their service.  
  
"I was in San Francisco when I heard about the fire," I said. "It shocked me as much as it did the rest of you."  
  
Joey shook his head and I could see the muscles of his jaw working, as if he wished he were able to yell at me. He took a step towards me, glanced at Charles, and then thought better of it. He settled for glaring at me instead, and his gaze told me that he didn't believe me one bit.  
  
"You're denying that you were involved with Yugi?" Tristan said. "I bet he'd like to know that you're willing to shove him underground when the pressure is on you."  
  
"We saw the newspaper, Kaiba. We know about you and Yugi, we read what the article said," Ryou added.  
  
I closed my eyes and counted to ten as slowly as I could. I heard my heart pounding in my ears loud enough that I almost missed Tea's comment.  
  
"Yugi told us that he was looking forward to getting to know you, Kaiba, that he was going to give a relationship with you a try," she said. I opened my eyes and watched as her eyes filled with tears and spilled down her cheeks. "I didn't approve of it, because of your reputation, but Yugi is my friend and I was willing to support him. Please tell me that Yugi didn't make a mistake in trusting you, in caring about you."  
  
Tea's words cut through to my heart faster than I could react. Yugi did trust me, didn't he? I told him that everything would be okay, that I'd handle everything, and he believed me. Had I sent Yugi's grandfather to his grave and Yugi himself to who knows where without meaning to, simply by allowing myself to care enough for Yugi to let him into my life? I looked at Tea and fought the urge to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her.  
  
"We all read the newspaper article, Kaiba," Tristan cut in. "It said that you were just using Yugi, like you do everyone else you go out with. How right was it, huh? Was Yugi just a play thing to you? Did you just want to conquer him because he beat you at Duel Monsters, show him off, and then toss him aside?"  
  
Now instead of wanting to shake Tea, I wanted to throttle Tristan. Did these idiots believe everything they read in the newspaper? I resisted the urge by not taking my eyes off of Tea's face.  
  
"I do care for Yugi," I told Tea, angry at myself for giving her an explanation she didn't deserve. "You trust his judgment, right? You know that he's a good judge of character. Why would he want to be with me if I was not genuine, if I just planned on using him?"  
  
Tea didn't have a reply and neither did anyone else.  
  
"I am sorry about what happened to Mr. Moto, but I had nothing to do with it. I will find Yugi, though. I will do everything in my power to find him."  
  
I turned and walked back to the car, Charles following behind me. I should have listened to my instincts and stayed away. It would have saved me a lot of grief. What did I hope to accomplish by coming here? I knew that I'd get no support from Yugi's friends, just blame, so why did I even bother? Someone's hand on my arm pulled me out of my musings and I pulled away, yanking the other person with me. I heard the person stumble and curse under his breath. I turned around and came face to face with a very pissed off thief.  
  
"Its okay, Charles, I'll meet you at the car," I said before Charles got involved in something he couldn't possibly understand.  
  
"Calm yourself, priest," Bakura growled when Charles was out of ear shot. "Ryou only wanted to ask if he could help you find the pharaoh's runt. I don't know why he'd bother, especially after you almost dislocated his arm when you pulled away, but I can't always protect him from his mistakes." Bakura stepped closer, until we were mere inches away. "If you ask me, we're all better off without the runt and the overbearing pharaoh." Bakura grinned, and the sight of it sent chills down my spine. "By the way, if you ever manhandle Ryou again, you'll have me to deal with."  
  
Suddenly, Bakura's sharp eyes were replaced by softer ones. Said eyes widened when he realized how close we were. He took a few steps back and almost tripped. I thought back to the pilot in San Francisco, how he'd moved away from me as well, and I wondered once again what it was about me that made people want to run away from me as fast as they could.  
  
"I'm sorry about the spirit of the ring, Kaiba," Ryou said, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "Bakura takes over whenever he wants."  
  
I shrugged. "I think I'm used to dealing with homicidal maniacs by now," I said.  
  
Ryou fidgeted and I could tell that he wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure how to say it. Finally, he cleared his throat and met my eyes.  
  
"Yugi is very important to me," Ryou said. "I..."  
  
Ryou trailed off, his eyes shifting so that he was no longer looking at me. His cheeks reddened even more and he ran his hands nervously down his slacks, as if wiping off sweat. It suddenly dawned on me that Ryou cared for Yugi as more than a friend. I don't know how I came to that conclusion, but it made perfect sense to me. Ryou, the shy, quiet guy, was standing in front of me, shifting nervously, trying to get something out but unwilling, or unable, to come out and say it. A part of me went on the defensive immediately, sensing Ryou as potential competition. I stared him down, even though his eyes were downcast.  
  
"Did Yugi know? I mean, did he know that you were interested in him?" The answer to this question would tell me for sure whether my theory was correct.  
  
Ryou smiled slightly and still refused to look at me. "No, he didn't know. I never knew quite how to tell him, and by the time I finally got the courage, he was already with you."  
  
I didn't know what to say so I said nothing. My life had suddenly been made much more complicated than it had been and I didn't think I could deal with this new development right now.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that I want to help you find Yugi," Ryou said.  
  
I immediately shook my head. "This doesn't involve you."  
  
Ryou's head snapped up, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "Like hell it doesn't. My friend is missing, Kaiba, that's how it involves me."  
  
"I'm going to handle this my way with no interference," I insisted.  
  
"Then you do know what's going on," Ryou said and stepped closer to me. "Please, Kaiba, tell me what you know. This does involve you, doesn't it? I thought you said it didn't?"  
  
I sighed. I really didn't want to deal with this. "It involves my company, not me directly. Look, I'm going to handle this myself. If you want Yugi to be found safe and sound, mind your own business."  
  
I walked away, leaving a worried and slightly angry Ryou behind.

* * *

By the time I got to Kaiba Corporation, I was seething.  
  
Confronting Yugi's idiot friends had only served to remind me just how much at fault I was, and I hated them for it. Instead of wallowing in the guilt and worry I felt, I used their indifference and scorn to fuel my anger. I left Charles by the car, again, and headed up to the executive offices. Midori Yamaguchi was startled when I threw open the outer door of Shishio's office and immediately got out of her chair.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, what can I do for you?" she asked, looking at me strangely.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
She frowned. "Are you looking for Mr. Shishio? He's in a meeting in the conference room," she said. "Are you okay, Mr. Kaiba? You don't look very well," she added.  
  
I opened the inner door anyway, just to make sure Yamaguchi wasn't lying, and found the office empty.  
  
"Which conference room is he in?" I snapped.  
  
"The one at the end of the hallway, Mr. Kaiba," she replied, fear making her face look paler than it should be. "Would you like me to call ahead and announce you?"  
  
I shook my head. "I'm going to surprise that son of a bitch," I said, and walked out of the office.  
  
I didn't bother knocking on the door to the conference room, I just threw it open. Shishio was sitting at the head of the conference table, papers and folders spread out around him. Two men in business suits, whom I didn't recognize, sat on either side of him. All three of them looked up in surprise when I walked in.  
  
"Seto, I thought you went to the United States," Shishio said.  
  
I walked directly to him, ignoring the other two men and the fact that Shishio knew I'd gone to the United States when I hadn't told anyone. I grabbed the front of his suit jacket and pulled him out of the chair, much like Joey had done to me earlier. Shishio's face was calm, as if he'd been expecting me. I threw him against the wall and smiled when he smacked into it face first. My adrenaline was pumping and I felt no tiredness, no pain.  
  
"Where is he?" I asked, walking towards where Shishio had landed on the floor. "Where did you take him?"  
  
Shishio smiled and smoothed out his suit. He looked up at me and I saw nothing but triumph in his eyes.  
  
"Who are you looking for, Seto? Is it your little boyfriend, perhaps?"  
  
Shishio tried to get up, but I kicked his legs out from under him before he could get to his feet.  
  
"I know what you and Spencer have been doing, Shishio. I'm going to have you both arrested for embezzling," I said.  
  
Shishio shrugged. "You have no proof, Kaiba. You can say all you want, but without solid evidence, no one will believe you."  
  
I laughed. "I don't make idle threats, Shishio, you should already know that. I have plenty of proof."  
  
For the first time, Shishio's face showed an emotion other than triumph. The man was afraid. He stood up and walked up to me, trying to hide his fear with a cocky attitude he couldn't quite pull off.  
  
"If you have me arrested, you'll never know what happened to your boyfriend."  
  
Shishio had me there. I was willing to let him and Spencer go, without pressing charges, if he would tell me where Yugi was.  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
Shishio chuckled. "That information, I'm sorry to say, is not at my disposal. You think you may have figured out what is going on, Seto, but you don't know the half of it."  
  
Shishio's eyes shifted, and I felt someone move behind me. I turned my head to see what was going on, when someone wrapped an arm around me, pinning my arms to my sides. Before I could react, a needle was pressed into my neck, and I felt a burning sensation as the fluid was injected into my body. My head began to swim and I could not stay focused.  
  
"You're playing with the big boys now, Seto. You should have known what you were getting involved in before getting into the sandbox."  
  
My body failed me, and I went limp in the arms of whoever was holding me. The man let me go, and I fell to the floor face down. I was completely awake, but I could not move. I heard people moving above me, but nothing was said. What had they injected me with? What else were they planning to do to me? I was roughly picked up by the back of my coat so that I couldn't see the face of the man that held me. All I saw was Shishio's grinning face in front of me.  
  
"I've wanted to see you at my mercy since the day I started working for you," Shishio said. "Unfortunately, I don't have a say in what is to be done with you." The grin faded suddenly, and a look of utter seriousness fell over the man's features. "Be at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico at sunset in three days. Your boyfriend will be there."  
  
Shishio nodded to the man holding me, and I was flung to the other side of the room. My body hit the windows that lined the room with a loud thump. I slid down and landed on the ground on my side, my legs and arms tangled around my body.  
  
"Remember, three days," Shishio said and left the room with his accomplices, shutting the door behind them.  
  
I lay where I'd fallen, completely unable to move. I could move my eyes and I could still breathe, but my muscles had been paralyzed completely. I felt no pain. In fact, I felt nothing at all. It was as if my body had been completely removed and only my consciousness remained. As I lay there, I contemplated what I'd been told. Yugi had been taken to Mexico? Why? How had they gotten him out of the country with the whole city of Domino looking for him? The fact that they had made it abundantly clear that Shishio and Spencer were not alone in this. They were working for someone else, someone tied to Mexico with the connections and resources to smuggle people out of countries. My heart sank with the realization. What the hell had I stumbled onto?  
  
I was unsure how long I lay there. I lost track of time, until someone came into the room. I heard the door open but could not tell who had walked in. The person moved around the table to where I lay. I'm not sure if the person knew I was here or had simply come to get something or use the room, but I hoped that they came far enough into the room to see me.  
  
A woman gasped and I was relieved that she'd seen me.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, what happened?"  
  
I recognized Midori Yamaguchi's voice before she had come into my view. She frowned when all I did was stare at her. She then became concerned when I did not answer her or move.  
  
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"  
  
I wanted to tell her to help me up, to take me to my office, but nothing came out. My lips would not move and my vocal chords would not vibrate.  
  
"Help!" she yelled. "Mr. Kaiba has been attacked, someone call security! Someone get a doctor!"  
  
To her credit, Ms. Yamaguchi kept her cool. She straightened out my limbs, turned me so that I was lying on my back, and rested my head on her lap. She brushed my hair away from my face and kept saying that everything was going to be okay. I hated to think about what I looked like in the position I was in, but from the motherly way she was acting, I had to have looked every bit like the sixteen year old teenager I was.  
  
A rush of people entered the conference room and converged around us. I immediately recognized the head of security and wished I could shake him and tell him to forget about me and to go after Shishio instead.  
  
"What happened? Did you see anything?" Hisaki Miagi asked Midori. "What was Mr. Kaiba doing in the conference room?"  
  
Ms. Yamaguchi shook her head, her face shadowed by worry and fear. "He stormed into Mr. Shishio's office looking for him. I told Mr. Kaiba that Mr. Shishio was in this conference room and he came directly here. I don't know what happened after that."  
  
"Mr. Kaiba, did Akira Shishio do this to you?"  
  
Hisaki looked at me, but I could not give him any other indication that I'd heard and understood the question. He must have seen something in my eyes, because he nodded slightly.  
  
"We'll start with that assumption, okay?"  
  
Hisaki gave orders to the men that had come with him to close all the exits and be on the look out for Shishio. I inwardly sighed in relief that something was being done to apprehend Shishio. I'd have to tell Hisaki about Spencer when I was able to speak again.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked another man that had crowded in around us.  
  
Kan Watanabe, the doctor we kept on staff in case of emergencies, took a hold of one of my arms. He held it and then let it go, watching as it flopped uselessly down to my chest. He did the same to the other arm, his frown deepening as the same thing happened. He turned my head, running his fingers up and down my neck, until he came upon the spot where the needle had been plunged into my skin. He got Hisaki's attention and pointed the spot out to him.  
  
"I think he's been injected with a paralyzing drug. He's fully conscious, but his body in not responding."  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked. "Is that drug going to hurt him?"  
  
Her concern for me genuinely touched me. After having both my pilot and Ryou Bakura step away from me as if I were contaminated, her refusal to leave me reminded me of Mokuba, who had been the only other person in my life to show such worry for my well being.  
  
"I don't know," Dr. Watanabe said. "I need to take a sample of his blood and determine what drug was used, before I can say what effect it will have."  
  
"I need to go search the security tapes for any clues, see if Shishio had any accomplices," Hisaki said.  
  
His face was a mask of barely controlled rage and from what I knew of him, I could understand why. He took great pride in his job, and the fact that anyone had done something in his domain that he didn't approve of was a personal blow to him. "Can I leave Mr. Kaiba in your hands, doctor?"  
  
"Yes, of course. I'll have him taken to his office."  
  
True to his word, the doctor had a stretcher brought to the conference room and I was carefully taken to my office, where I was laid down on my leather couch. The doctor took a blood sample from me and left to run tests on it, leaving me with Ms. Yamaguchi.  
  
"Why would Mr. Shishio do this to you, Mr. Kaiba?" she asked, as if she expected me to give her an answer.  
  
'Why indeed,' I thought.  
  
I was afraid that Shishio was right and I didn't know as much as I thought I did. I didn't know how long this paralyzing drug I'd been given would last, but I hoped it wouldn't last too long.  
  
I had three days to get to Mexico, after all. 


	10. Last Ditch Effort

Amunra pokes head out from behind the pile of textbooks and research articles to see if there are any readers left

Greetings! Does anyone still remember this story? I hope so. It's not dead yet. Nope, I have lots of plans for it, just not enough time to write. I don't have any boring classes this semester that I can ignore and write instead. I'll try to make more time to write though.

On a totally unrelated note: Has anyone watched Knight Hunters: Eternity (also known as Weiss Kreuz Gluhen)? The reason I ask is that Dan Green, who does the English voice of Yami and Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh!, does the English voice of Aya Fujimiya in Knight Hunters. For the first few episodes, every time Aya spoke, I'd point to the screen and yell "Yami!" It was quite amusing.

Anyway, I'm not sure if anyone remembers what they said when they reviewed, so I'm not going to reply to the reviews this time. I do want to tank each one of you that reviewed, though. You are wonderful, and the reviews help motivate me (and make me feel guilty when I don't post anything) so keep it up.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10: Last Ditch Effort**

I lost track of time in the chaos that my office became shortly after I was brought in. I resented all of the people that kept coming in and out of it, since the office was normally my sanctuary, never to be occupied by anyone else. Right now, two security guards stood just inside the door making sure that only those people authorized by Hisaki were allowed in the room. Ms. Yamaguchi sat beside the couch I'd been laid on. She would look at me nervously and then look at the security guards, as if expecting them to do something. A nurse came in every so often to check on me. The expression on her face was serious, which frightened me a bit more each time she came and went. What had Shishio injected me with and why was I still unable to move?

My body had begun to feel even number than it had when I'd first been injected. When Ms. Yamaguchi had found me, I'd been able to feel her hands on me, feel the material of her skirt against my cheek. Now, even that sensation had gone away. I didn't feel the leather I was lying on or the hand Ms. Yamaguchi ran through my hair. The only reason I knew she was doing that was because I could see her brushing the hair out of my face. It was as if I were stuck in an empty shell, deprived of all sensory information.

"Shouldn't we call someone to tell them what happened to Mr. Kaiba?"

Ms. Yamaguchi's question brought me out of my thoughts and I shifted my eyes so I could see her. She was leaning forward, her face half in my view. She looked concerned, and I wondered why she cared. She didn't know me and I hadn't exactly been social to her when we met. Why was she still here? Why did she insist on taking care of me? Not that I needed taking care of, of course.

"Who should we call?" one of the security guards, whose name I didn't know, asked.

"What about his family? I'm sure they'd like to know that he's been attacked."

Family. That word had absolutely no meaning for me, not anymore. If it had ever meant anything to me, it was when Mokuba had been with me. Now, the word was just a mockery of everything life had taken away from me. It was one of the reasons I liked to keep to myself, so that no one would have a chance to make assumptions about me or learn more about me than I wanted them to know.

"He has a brother," the security guard said. "I think the younger Kaiba is in middle school. You might want to check with Mr. Kaiba's secretary about how to contact him."

'No, not that.,' I thought, wishing I had the ability to get up and run out of the office, before these idiots started poking around in my personal life. I shifted my eyes to Ms. Yamaguchi again, who was now looking at me.

"Is that the only family you have?" she asked. "Would you like me to call your brother?"

I felt my chest tighten at the mention of my brother and it brought home the point that I was now truly alone in the world. Mokuba was dead, and the only other person who had bothered to look past my rough exterior to see me for who I really am was now being held in Mexico for reasons I couldn't begin to understand. Without them, who would care about what happened to me? I wanted to shake my head, to tell her to drop it and leave my brother out of this, but I couldn't.

She frowned. "You don't want me to call your brother?"

I couldn't do anything but look at her and hope that my eyes alone conveyed my desire for her to stay the hell away from any mention of my brother. I didn't want her to know he was dead. I didn't want her to come back into the room with pity in her eyes because whoever answered the phone at Mokuba's school had told her he was dead.

She sighed and patted my arm. "It'll be okay, Mr. Kaiba. I'll be right back," she said and walked out of the office.

I closed my eyes. It couldn't be helped now. No one at Kaiba Corp. knew about Mokuba. His death had been kept quiet at my request, so that no one other than the police who had made out the report, the children in the playground that day and the doctors at the hospital knew. I hadn't seen the need to tell anyone here, because they didn't know Mokuba and didn't care about him. I was the one who had to live with the fact that my brother was dead, no one else.

I looked around the office, remembering the number of times Mokuba had come running through the doors and leapt onto the couch I now lay on to watch me work or wait for me to finish so we could go home together. He used to get bored and roam around the office, looking at the books and other trinkets I kept around. Most times, he'd settle on the floor in front of the windows and look out over Domino. He'd always enjoyed that view and would sit there for hours at a time, until I was ready to call it quits. Thinking back now, I wish I'd taken the time to spend more time with him. Back then, I thought I had the rest of my life to enjoy with my brother. Work had seemed so important then, but in the end, it had left me with nothing but an empty office and an even emptier house. Mokuba had deserved more than I'd given him, and I would give everything I owned just to have him smile up at me one more time.

"Mr. Kaiba."

Ms. Yamaguchi had come back and was kneeling beside the couch. Her face had lost its earlier liveliness and was lined with sadness. No doubt she knew about Mokuba now. She reached out to touch my cheek and I was surprised when her fingers came away wet. When had I started to cry? I felt foolish; I was crying in front of this woman I hardly knew. I berated myself for my weakness and willed my tears to stop falling. It was hard to do, when I hadn't even felt the tears slip out of my eyes in the first place.

"You're crying," she stated, looking at her hand as if the salty water on it was something out of the ordinary.

She shook her head and wiped my other cheek. I would have given anything to shove her away, to turn my face away before she could see whatever my eyes were showing her. I didn't want to be with anyone at the moment. I wanted to run, to hide in my own place where I could grieve in peace.

"I called the school your brother used to attend and they told me he'd been killed a few weeks ago during a playground incident. I'm very sorry."

"What?" the guard standing by the door said, unable to keep his shock out of the question. My secretary, who'd come in with Ms. Yamaguchi, also looked surprised.

I could do nothing. I couldn't move away, I couldn't leave the room, all I could do was close my eyes and pretend they weren't there to see my pain, my grief. I wasn't used to being helpless. I had paid dearly for my ability to do what I wanted when I wanted, and being unable to do anything but lay here was tearing my already broken heart in pieces.

"There's no one else to contact," I heard my secretary say.

She was saved from having to elaborate when the door opened once again. Curious, I opened my eyes to find Hisaki kneeling beside the couch next to Ms. Yamaguchi. He bowed his head and folded his arms nervously in his lap.

"Mr. Kaiba, we caught Shishio as he was leaving the building," the man said. "We have him in custody, but I don't want to call the police until I know what's going on. Do you have something on him? Is there a reason for his attack?"

I felt immense relief rush through me at Hisaki's words, glad that Shishio hadn't gotten away. The relief was replaced by helplessness, though, at my inability to talk to Hisaki and tell him what was going on.

"Is there something I can use against him, to keep him locked up?"

I blinked once and shifted my eyes in the direction of my desk, where I'd put the file I'd gathered on both Shishio and Spencer. When I glanced at the man again, I could see him glancing in the direction of my desk. I'd hired Hisaki because he was the best at what he did. I hoped he wouldn't disappoint me now.

"There's something on your desk you want me to look at?"

I blinked once. I'd seen people doing this in movies and always laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. I never would have imagined being in a similar situation.

Hisaki nodded and I could see him swallow nervously as he glanced at me and then at the desk again.

"I have your permission to go through your desk, Mr. Kaiba?"

I would have laughed at the man's discomfort if I could have. True, I never allowed anyone, not even my secretary, near my desk, but this wasn't an ordinary situation and I hoped to never be in a position again where I couldn't do things for myself. I blinked once and Hisaki got up and headed towards my desk. I heard him opening drawers and shuffling papers, until he suddenly stopped. I heard papers being moved slowly and heard the man gasp. He'd apparently found what I'd wanted him to find.

"This is what you wanted me to find?" Hisaki asked as he once again kneeled next to the couch and held up the file.

I blinked once.

"I'll get the police in on this right away, Mr. Kaiba," the man said and hurried out of the office without telling anyone else what he'd read in that file. The man was good at his job, and he was discrete. I might have to give him a raise after all this was over, if it was ever over.

A few moments after Hisaki left, Dr. Watanabe entered the office, carrying a syringe in one hand and a black bag in the other.

"Doctor, were you able to find an antidote?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked.

"Yes, and we have very little time in which to administer it," the doctor said. He placed his black bag on the floor and kneeled next to the couch. "Mr. Kaiba, the drug Shishio injected you with is very powerful and is meant to work right away. It is a miracle that you are still conscious. Tell me, have you felt a decrease in sensation over the last few hours?"

I blinked once. I could think of nothing better to do, and since it'd worked with Hisaki, I was hoping it would work with the doctor as well.

"This particular drug was developed to sedate patients who needed to be conscious during surgery. It completely deadens the nerves, while leaving the patient awake and aware. It works over time, so I'm not surprised that you've had that symptom"

"You said that it was a miracle he was still conscious," Ms. Yamaguchi interrupted, "but you just said the drug was meant to keep a patient awake."

The doctor nodded in her direction. "In certain doses, it is. However, the dosage given to Mr. Kaiba was well above what would be given in a surgical setting. The fact that Mr. Kaiba is only sixteen years old is a complication as well. This medication is extremely volatile and would not normally be prescribed to a teenager. By all indications, Mr. Kaiba should have been dead of an overdose hours ago. As things stand now, I don't know what side effects the drug is going to have on his system."

It didn't surprise me to know that Shishio had once again tried to kill me. What bothered me was that he'd told me where Yugi would supposedly be in three days. If he had injected me with a drug that he knew would kill me, why give me any information at all? Was what he'd said even true? What would I be walking into if I did go to Teotihuacán? Would Yugi even be there? Maybe Shishio hadn't known about the effects the drug would have and had only done what he'd been told to. If he'd been told to give me information, what were the chances that the information was accurate? I had to get to Shishio and get answers out of him one way or another.

"Mr. Kaiba, are you listening?"

The doctor's question startled me out of my speculations. I looked at him and saw him holding a syringe in front of my face. He frowned and held the syringe closer to my face. He sighed, momentarily annoyed, until he seemed to realize that he was talking to his boss. His annoyance cleared from his face and an expression of neutrality graced his features instead.

"This is the antidote, but there are dangers involved in administering it," the doctor said. He'd apparently told me all of this before, but I hadn't been listening, hence his earlier annoyance. "Like I said earlier, your body was not meant to handle this drug and the high dosage could have caused some nerve damage. I won't know for sure until I run more specific tests on you. I can have you taken to the hospital and run those tests, or I could give you the antidote now. I'd still need to have you sent to the hospital, but at least you'll be fully mobile when I do."

No! No more tests, no more delaying. I have to get to Shishio. Of course, I couldn't say this out loud, but there must have been something on my face because the doctor nodded.

"What kind of damage are we talking about, Doctor?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked.

"Mobility could become an issue if Mr. Kaiba's body has been damaged too much. He could lose the ability to walk or to speak. He could lose the ability to form coherent thought. The drug generally attacks only the nervous system, but when there is prolonged exposure, the brain can be affected as well."

The breath hitched in my throat and my heart sped up with my growing fear. That would be Shishio's perfect revenge, wouldn't it, to leave me paralyzed or brain dead. My brain didn't feel affected though, as I could still form coherent thought. I tested it, going through some complex mathematics and recalling some of my more intricate designs and was relieved when I could do both things just fine.

"Mr. Kaiba, do you want me to inject you with this?"

I couldn't tell him that yes, he had to inject me with the drug, but I did manage to blink.

"Are you sure, Mr. Kaiba?" Ms. Yamaguchi asked. "It could turn out worse for you."

I laughed inwardly. Nothing could be worse than the hell I was currently in. I eyed the doctor and blinked again. He nodded and sighed. He uncapped the syringe and lowered the collar of my shirt so that my shoulder was exposed. He looked at me once again, as if for reassurance, and when I didn't react, he plunged the needle into my shoulder. I didn't feel anything. Normally, I felt the prick of the needle and the burning sensation of the chemical as it entered my body, but this time, I felt nothing. The doctor looked shaken as he emptied the syringe and I saw his hands shaking as he put the needle away. Ms. Yamaguchi's face had drained of all color and she was wringing her hands together nervously.

I didn't feel anything. I wasn't sure what the drug was supposed to do, but shouldn't it have had some effect by now? I looked at the doctor again and noticed that he was looking at me intently. A sudden thought rushed through my mind, leaving me panting in sudden panic. Shishio had betrayed me. He worked for me, was supposed to have been loyal to me, and yet he'd laundered money from my company and helped whoever he now worked for kidnap Yugi. How did I know that Dr. Watanabe wasn't working for the same people Shishio worked for? How could I be sure that whatever he'd given me would cure me instead of finish the job?

A sudden, burning sensation raced through my body. It started at the point where Dr. Watanabe had injected me and slid down my body to my toes, where it turned around and came back up again. I gasped and my body arched in agony. My hands and feet felt as if they had been covered in flames, and my arms and legs convulsed. I didn't have time to realize that my body was finally moving. All I could concentrate on was the feeling that I was being burned from the inside. My breathing quickened, until the only air I was taking in came in short, painful gasps. My body continued to convulse, and Dr. Watanabe had to hold my head still to keep it from hitting anything.

"He's burning up!" the doctor exclaimed as soon as he'd touched my head. "Go get some towels. Wet them with cold water and hurry back."

Ms. Yamaguchi did as she was told and the doctor turned back to me. He took the pillows out from under my head and laid it flat on the cushion. He took off my shirt and my pants, leaving me in only my boxers, and the cool air of the office immediately began to soothe the raging fire inside of me. His hands on my bare skin escalated the pain, and I heard myself screaming. The doctor winced at the sound, but continued to hold my arms and legs steady. Ms. Yamaguchi returned a short while later and they covered me with the blessedly cold towels. I tried to control the convulsions, control my screaming, but my body still wasn't following my commands. The fire continued to burn and I continued to scream, until I felt as if my vocal chords would rupture from the strain.

A while later, I wasn't sure how much time actually passed, the fire finally subsided. I felt weak, but was relieved to feel the cool towels covering my chest and legs, and the cool cloth that Ms. Yamaguchi was running over my forehead. I closed my eyes and waited for my breathing to return to normal.

"Mr. Kaiba, how do you feel?"

"Like hell," was the immediate response. It had come out hoarse, but I had been able to speak. I smiled lopsidedly and looked at the doctor, who looked relieved.

Experimentally, I wiggled my fingers and toes and was satisfied that I could not only feel them, but also move them. I lifted my arms and winced when I only managed to lift them a bit off the couch.

"That's normal, Mr. Kaiba. You're going to be weak for a few hours. I really need to get you to the hospital and make sure that no permanent damage was done."

I slowly shook my head. I sat up, blushing slightly when the towel that had been covering my chest fell onto my lap.

"I have to talk to Shishio. I don't have time to go to the hospital right now, doctor."

Dr. Watanabe scowled. "You have to, Mr. Kaiba. If you suffered some damage, it's better if it's treated now, before it can progress further."

I was about to protest, when a commotion from outside caught our attention.

"You can't go in there," one of the guards said.

"Move aside, mortal," the voice growled and I knew immediately who it was. The person didn't waste any time before pushing the door to my office open. Bakura stood there, glaring at me as if I'd done something to him. He stepped into the office and turned around to close the office door. When he turned back, it was Ryou I was facing.

"Kaiba, are you okay? I heard you screaming all the way from the elevator. What happened?"

I cringed. Great, not only was I too weak to get to where I was going by myself, but Ryou, and who knows how many other people, had heard me screaming. Self conscious for the first time, I looked down at my nearly naked body and shivered.

"Here," Ms. Yamaguchi said as she handed me my shirt.

"I'm sorry, but I had to lower the temperature of your body," the doctor replied as he handed me my pants. "This was the quickest way I could think of."

I nodded. I couldn't be mad at him, because the cold towels had actually helped reduce the burning pain. I fumbled to put on my shirt but couldn't quite get it to go where it needed to go. Ms. Yamaguchi and the doctor both helped me dress and I would have been embarrassed, if I hadn't been too worried about my condition. How was I supposed to go after Yugi if I couldn't even dress myself?

"What happened, Kaiba?

"He was attacked by one of our own employees," Dr. Watanabe said before I could stop him. "He was drugged. I just gave him the antidote for the drug. The effect was rather painful, which is why you heard the screams."

Ryou turned to regard me with sympathy in his eyes, which I immediately hated.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I growled, my voice still hoarse. "I don't remember asking you to come."

"I told you I wanted to help you," Ryou said.

"I didn't ask for your help."

The doctor and Ms. Yamaguchi looked at each other in confusion, before the doctor finally spoke.

"I'm going to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital, Mr. Kaiba."

"No," I said, and shakily got to my feet. I walked over to my desk, stumbling a few times as my legs readjusted to the movement, and picked up the phone.

"Hisaki, where are you keeping Shishio?"

"He's in one of the offices on the ground floor, Mr. Kaiba," Hisaki said, all business. "The police have not arrived yet."

"Good. I'm going down to see him."

I hung up the phone and turned towards the others. "I'm going to talk to Shishio. Dr. Watanabe, I will check myself into the hospital when I'm done with what I need to do."

The doctor looked at me, and then finally nodded. "I will forward my report to your physician then," he said and left the office.

I got my shoes back on and headed for the door, and then tripped over the edge of the rug and went sprawling forward. I would have fallen, if Ryou hadn't caught me.

"I'm going with you, Kaiba. I don't care if you don't want my help. For Yugi's sake, I'm going to give it to you anyway."

* * *

By the time I got to the ground floor, I felt stronger. I hoped that I would finally be able to walk without having to lean on Ryou Bakura, because having to depend on someone else was simply not my style. As I pushed his hand off my arm and walked out of the elevator, I sighed in relief that the dizziness I'd been experiencing was gone.

"You should be in the hospital," he said. "I'm sure the doctor put a lot of effort into curing you and you shouldn't undo his work like this."

I turned and glared at him. "Dr. Watanabe did what he gets paid to do, nothing more."

I left Ryou in the elevator, hoping that he would take the hint and walk out of the building instead of following me. A few minutes later, I groaned when I heard his footsteps behind me. Ignoring him, I found the room Hisaki had mentioned and let myself in, not bothering to knock. Hisaki stood to greet me and I could see Shishio seated behind Hisaki, handcuffed to the chair.

"Mr. Kaiba, it's good to see that you're healthy once again," Hisaki said.

The man looked behind me and narrowed his eyes. He then met mine and I shrugged.

"He's a nuisance I haven't been able to get rid of," I said.

"Do you want me to take care of him?" Hisaki asked.

I shook my head. I didn't want Bakura to send my security chief to the shadow realm. It'd be very hard to find a replacement in such short notice. Hisaki nodded once and I heard Ryou chuckle softly. Shishio refused to look at me. The man's face was turned away, but I could tell that he was listening to our every word. I walked past Hisaki and stood in front of Shishio. I probably should tell Hisaki and Ryou to leave the room, but I didn't really care what they overheard now. Things were going to become public sooner or later, and I had more important things to discuss with Shishio right now.

"How does it feel, Shishio?" I asked, turning the man around so that he was finally facing me. "You and Spencer are both going to go to jail for a very long time for laundering money from my company."

Shishio stared blankly at me. His face was pale, and it took me a while to realize that he wasn't really afraid of the consequences of what he'd done. He didn't think I was much of a threat, but he was afraid of something, or someone, else.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? Aren't you the least bit shocked that I'm standing here, instead of on my way to the morgue?"

That caught Shishio's attention. His eyes widened and he looked confused.

"Why would I think that you'd be on your way to the morgue? That drug was only supposed keep you immobilized for a while," Shishio finally said.

"Or so you were told," I replied, my voice dripping with anger.

I wanted nothing more than to beat Shishio's face in, force him to tell me where Yugi was and who was behind the kidnapping, but I knew that if I did that, he would only shut down and not say anything useful. Not only that, but I wouldn't be able to leave quietly to go after Yugi, not when I'd have to answer for my actions to the police.

"What do you mean?"

"Who are you working for, Shishio? Who are you laundering the money for?" I asked, ignoring his question.

His face became blank again.

"They neglected to tell you that the drug your thugs gave me was supposed to kill me," I said, leaning down so that our faces were almost touching. "What did they tell you? Was the information you gave me correct?"

Shishio seemed genuinely at a loss. For an instant, I felt sorry for him. He'd been played for a fool by someone more ruthless and deadly than him. They'd used Shishio's greed against him, and now he'd more than likely be killed to cover up whatever was really going on. At the same time, my fear increased for Yugi. If he was with whoever was pulling Shishio's strings, he'd be in even more danger than I'd originally thought. My fists tightened around Shishio's shirt and I lifted him as high as the handcuffs would allow me. He grunted as the metal bit into his skin, but I only pulled harder.

"Where is he, Shishio? Where did they take him?"

From behind me, I heard Ryou Bakura's gasp of surprise and before I could warn him off, the white haired boy was standing beside me.

"He knows where Yugi is?" Ryou asked me. "Where is he?" he asked Shishio.

Shishio looked from me to Ryou and then back to me. He shook his head but didn't say anything. I pulled him up harder, but a hand to my arm stopped me. I turned to see that the spirit of the ring had taken over Ryou's body again.

"Let me," Bakura said. "Ryou wants to know where Yugi is, and I think I can convince this man to tell me."

"Why should I trust you?" I asked, angry that the spirit would dare interfere in my business in the first place, especially in front of Shishio. "What can you possibly do to get him to confess?"

Bakura sneered. "Do you remember a thing called the shadow realm?" he asked, his voice down to a whisper.

I nodded. Of course I knew what it was. How could I ever forget?

Bakura laughed and the sound made Shishio jump. "I think we'll take a trip through the shadow realm for a bit."

Bakura reached out and took Shishio out of my hands. He put him back down on the chair and stood to one side. I wasn't really sure what happened, but before I knew it, Shishio's eyes had widened, and Bakura's had closed. Both men were still breathing, but Shishio's breaths came at a fast and shallow pace, as if he were frightened. Moments later, Bakura opened his eyes and glared down at Shishio, who was now shaking and mumbling incoherently.

"Do you want to know what I found out?" Bakura asked.

I nodded. Bakura put a hand on my arm and a rush of visions hit me all at once. I stumbled back but stayed on my feet. I looked at Bakura, who was smirking.

"You're out of practice, priest. I just shared my memories of the encounter with you. To find out where Yugi is, all you have to do is sift through what I just gave you."

I glared at the spirit, angry that he'd dared violate my mind that way. I concentrated on what he'd given me and was shocked to see a bound and gagged Yugi being carried into an airplane. His clothes were burned in places, part of his hair had been singed, and his face had patches of red where the fire had burned him. His eyes were open wide, fear and sadness flitting across the violet eyes. My heart clenched at the sight and my anger returned full force.

"We'll be in Mexico City in a week," the man carrying Yugi said. "Tell Kaiba to meet us there by then. We'll be able to easily eliminate him and move on to the next phase of our plan."

My eyes snapped open and I turned to Shishio once again. The man had recovered from his trip to the shadow realm, and his eyes on me only increased my rage. I hit him with my fist, smiling at the crack of knuckles hitting the cheek bone. I hit him again, before pulling him up by the shirt once again.

"You sold me out, you son of a bitch!" I yelled. "What did they offer you that was worth my life? Did they offer you control of Kaiba Corp.? You told them about Yugi and me. You told them that you could get to me though him, didn't you? You involved an innocent person in your game and for what? I swear that I will make you pay for what you've done. Whatever happens to Yugi, I will personally see to it that you suffer the same fate."

I let him go, watching in satisfaction as the chair toppled over and sent Shishio crashing into the floor. I was shaking with rage. My breathing was fast and erratic, and I had to force myself to take deeper breaths so that I wouldn't hyperventilate. I clenched my fists and cursed myself once again for involving Yugi in my life. I should know by now that anyone involved with me ultimately pays for it with their life. An image of Mokuba suddenly appeared in my mind, and I felt the familiar burning in my eyes. I closed them; I was not going to cry any more. I had no right to feel sorry for myself. Instead, I would allow myself to feel the anger: anger at both the world and myself.

I turned and quickly left the room, knowing that Hisaki would deal with Shishio and the police. I had reached the elevator when Bakura caught up to me.

"You're going to Mexico, aren't you?" Ryou asked, the spirit apparently having relinquished control of the body for now. "I want to go with you."

"You don't know what you're saying," I snarled.

Ryou tried get inside the elevator with me, but I pushed him away with enough force to send him crashing into the opposite wall.

"It's a trap, Kaiba, and you know it," Ryou yelled. "If you go alone, they'll kill both you and Yugi."

I stood at the threshold and regarded him for a moment. "Yugi will not die," I said, my voice low and oddly calm. "No matter what happens, he will not die. Whatever happens to me doesn't matter. If I'm killed, then maybe the world will finally be a better place."

I stepped into the elevator and the doors closed in front of me, but not before I saw the look of sadness cross Ryou's face. I shook my head and pressed the button that would take me to the garage.

I had a plane to catch.

* * *

I really must stop tormenting poor Kaiba. One of these days, he's either going to have a nervous break down or start thinking about suicide with all the stuff I put him through.

Next up: Kaiba meets the men behind Shishio and Spencer... and he gets to finally see and talk to Yugi. Stay tuned!


	11. Interlude: Standing at the Edge of the E...

Greetings! I got sudden inspiration for this chapter, so I put off writing everything else to get it done. I said at the beginning of the story that I might have a need to change point of view, but I didn't want to do it in a way that disrupted the story. This interlude is the result. It's told entirely from Yugi's point of view. I have to admit, writing Yugi's POV proved harder than I thought. I'm not sure why, since he's the character I'm most used to writing. I hope it makes sense, though. There'll probably be more of these as the story progresses, but for now, I hope this one turned out okay.

Enjoy!

* * *

Interlude: Standing at the Edge of the Earth

Yugi POV

_I knew that this moment would come in time _

_That I'd have to let go and watch you fly _

_I know you're coming back so why am I dying inside? _

_Are you searching for words that you can't find? _

_Trying to hide your emotions but eyes don't lie _

_Guess there's no easy way to say goodbye _

I don't understand what they're saying, but I know that whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for him. I'm not sure how long I've been here, how long I've been missing, but it seems like it's been an eternity since I was last home, since...

I stopped that train of thought as I felt the familiar burning in my eyes. I had already cried so much that it was a wonder I still had any tears left. My captors had laughed when they'd seen me cry and had taken great pleasure in mocking me, but I didn't care. All that mattered to me at the time was to release the sadness and guilt I felt about what I'd seen, what I'd had to do. I hadn't cared who saw or what they thought. I still didn't. Except that I no longer wanted to cry, because I realized that it wouldn't help me in any way, and it wouldn't help him.

When I closed my eyes and let my mind wander back to Domino, all I could see was the raging fire around me, consuming my home, and my grandfather lying helpless under a wooden beam, trying to move legs that were no longer useful. He'd yelled at me to get out of the house, to leave him behind, but I'd refused. I'd gone back to try and pry the beam off him, but all I'd gotten in exchange were two burned hands.

I looked down at the white bandages that covered my hands and couldn't help but see the blood that had seeped through. My hands ached constantly, as did parts of my face and legs, but that was nothing compared to the aching in my heart. I had watched as my grandfather was burned to death. I'd heard his screams as the fire consumed his body, aching to do something, anything, to end his torment. In the end, I'd done nothing but stare and cry.

As I'd tried to get out of the burning house, I'd been grabbed and drugged. I had woken up some time later in a small room, still in my burned clothes, but someone had bandaged my injuries. I'd been locked in, and no one had come to talk to me or tell me why I'd been taken. I heard snippets of the conversation going on outside of the door, enough to know that my kidnapping had something to do with Kaiba. I should have been angry at him for getting me involved, but I wasn't. Instead, I was worried about him. I was afraid that whoever had kidnapped him would hurt him. It seems I'd been proven correct when I'd been handed over to my current captors.

I painfully got to my feet and walked the short distance to the edge of the pyramid we were on. We were standing at the top of it, a flat span that served as its peak. We'd climbed a lot of steps to get to the top, and as I peered over the edge, I hated to think about what would happen if one were to accidentally fall off the edge. Even with the fear factor, I had to admit that the view was spectacular. We were the only people in the ruins, and the silence was deafening. A similar pyramid to the one we were on stood to my right, at the end of a long avenue, which was lined with smaller structures. Behind me, mountains bordered the ancient city like guards, giving the place a feeling of isolation.

History had never been my forte and I had no idea where we were. The markings on the ruins I'd seen as we entered the ancient city were similar to Japanese only in that they were characters. Unlike Japanese, however, these characters were pictorial and seemed to depict a lot of animals, especially serpents. It was unlike anything I'd ever laid my eyes on, and I was fairly certain that we were no longer in Japan, much less any part of Asia. My captors were speaking Spanish, which was a language I knew almost nothing about, which narrowed my choice of locations to Central and South America. I shivered suddenly: I was a long way from home. Why couldn't my kidnappers have been North Americans? I could at least speak English.

I sighed, stunned at my sarcasm. Hanging around Kaiba must have rubbed off on me somehow. I placed my hands around my puzzle, which had remained with me through the constant changes of the last few days, and felt another wave of grief flood through me. I hadn't only lost my grandfather in that fire; I'd also lost my other half, the one person who I'd counted on to always be there for me, keep me calm and safe no matter what. I didn't know what was wrong, except that I couldn't feel Yami anymore. I'd been calling out to him constantly over the last few days to no avail. What scared me more was that I couldn't go into my soul room, much less his, to find out what was going on. The puzzle felt cold and empty, and I felt truly alone for the first time since I'd solved the puzzle.

_Yami, please talk to me. I need you. I'm so scared and I don't know what to do. If you can hear me, please say something.. _

Silence was the only reply to my plea. I closed my eyes to fight the tears that had gathered there and took a deep, shuddering breath. 'Yami, where are you?'

"A que hora llega Kaiba?" 1

I'd been ignoring the conversation between the three men who held me captive since we'd stepped off the plane, but the mention of Kaiba's name caught my attention. I turned around and saw one of the men look at his watch before answering.

"Llega en treinta minutos," the man said. 2

"A lo mejor decide que este niño no vale la pena y no viene." 3

The three men laughed and turned to smirk at me. I tried not to react to their laughter, even though it raised the hair at the back of my neck. The only word out of that conversation I'd understood was niño, and since I looked rather young, I figured they'd been talking about me.

I knew Kaiba had been told to come and get me. I'd heard that back in Japan. They were going to lure Kaiba here to kill him, and they were using me as bait. I couldn't allow that to happen. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I'd been the cause of his death. I didn't want to do anything to hurt him, but I couldn't allow him to sacrifice himself for me. I had to do something to get him to turn back and forget about me.

_So I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping that someday you'll come back again _

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth hoping for someday_

_Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say _

_I don't want to let you leave this way _

_I want you to know that I stand right by your side _

"Llego temprano," the man who had looked at his watch said to the other two and walked closer to the edge of the pyramid, pointing at something in the distance. The other two followed and chuckled at what they saw. 4

Curious, I walked towards them to see what they were looking at, and my heart stopped in my chest when I saw a figure in a long, purple trench coat walking down the center of the long avenue. There were no structures to obstruct our view, and there was no mistaking the confident walk and trademark coat, even from this distance. One of the men noticed me standing close to them and he rushed to me, picked me up by the front of my shirt and hauled me over to the edge of the pyramid. I struggled to loosen his grip, but he just turned me around so that my back was pressed against his chest, and his arm was around my neck.

"You might want to hurry, Mr. Kaiba," the man yelled loud enough so Kaiba could hear him. "You never know what might fall off the edge of these high pyramids."

'So they do speak English,' I thought at the same time I realized the man was holding me over the side of the pyramid. Kaiba stopped in his tracks as he noticed us and then began to run towards the pyramid. The man continued to hold me over the edge until Kaiba had made it to the steps of the pyramid and had begun to climb up.

_And I know this may be _

_The very last time that we see each other cry _

_But whatever happens know that I'll....  
_

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping that one day you'll come back again _

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping that someday you'll come back to me _

_I'll be praying for whatever it's worth _

_Believing that one day you'll come back to me _

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping for someday _

As we waited for Kaiba to reach us, the two remaining men readied their handguns and tucked them into holsters at their hips. I didn't know how they were going to kill Kaiba, but I had to think of something to keep that from happening. The only think that occurred to me was to get Kaiba to leave without me, but I'm not sure if that would do much good. The men could kill him anyway, in addition to doing whatever they wanted to me. Or they could keep me longer and try to lure him back again. I shook my head, the thoughts whirling around like a tornado.

"Put me down!" I yelled in English, feeling the foreign language fall clumsily from my lips. "I have no where to go, you know."

The man laughed and released me, but not entirely. He kept a tight hold of my left shoulder so that I was in front of him at all times. The other two men flanked the stairs, their hands on their guns, and waited for Kaiba to reach us.

When Kaiba finally reached us, I couldn't help but gasp at what I saw. Kaiba was pale, breathing heavily, and limping. The trip up the pyramid wasn't an easy one, but it shouldn't have had that much of an effect on Kaiba. He was in excellent physical condition, after all, which made me wonder what had happened since I was kidnapped. He took a couple of steps towards me, never taking his eyes off of me. His face was composed, emotionless, but I could see relief flash through his eyes like the fluttering of a bird's wings. Kaiba ignored the two men who had drawn their guns and were pointing them at him and focused solely on me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice eerily silent. He looked me up and down, taking in my tattered and burned clothing, my bandages, and I could see his lips press into a thin line at what he saw.

"I'm okay," I replied, even though I really wasn't. I couldn't tell him that I was in pain and scared out of my mind, though. That would only make things worse.

"What do you want?" Kaiba asked the man holding me. "Why did you bring us here?"

The man laughed and ran his free hand through my hair, making me shiver at the unwanted touch.

"We just wanted to talk to you, Mr. Kaiba, that's all. Our boss wanted to thank you for the resources your company has donated to our cause."

Kaiba frowned. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "My company has no dealings with whatever you're involved in."

"That's where you're wrong," the man said. "We have received a lot of money from your company, money that will be well spent in taking technology to countries who are too poor to develop their own."

"Money laundering, you mean," Kaiba said, having apparently caught on to what the man was saying. "The money Shishio and Spencer laundered; they gave it to you, didn't they?"

"They didn't give it to me, personally, but yes, we ended up with it."

Kaiba took a step closer to us, but the sounds of the safeties being released on the other men's guns brought him to a stop. "What kind of technology are you transporting?"

The man chuckled. "Come on, Mr. Kaiba, you can't tell me that you don't know that already? You were a weapon designer before you were a teenager were you not? Kaiba Corporation always had the most advanced, deadliest weapons in the business. Who better to fund our activities than you?"

I gasped. I had not been aware that Kaiba Corp. had ever dealt with weapons; much less that Kaiba had designed them himself. He must have heard my gasp, because he turned to me, his eyes full of disgust at what I'd just become aware of. He took his eyes off of me and returned his attention to the man when he resumed speaking.

"That's not all we got from your company," he added. "We also received some very interesting designs for guided missiles, war simulations, and bombs. I have to hand it to you, Mr. Kaiba, you sure know how to design killing machines."

Kaiba's jaw tightened, the muscles bunching as he tried to contain his anger. His fists clenched so hard that it wouldn't have surprised me to see blood flowing out of cuts in his palms from his nails.

"You're bluffing. Those designs no longer exist," Kaiba ground out through clenched teeth.

The fact that he wasn't denying the claims didn't escape me. I couldn't see Kaiba designing weapons, especially not at such a young age, but since he wasn't denying it, it had to be true.

"Are you sure about that? Our operatives had no trouble finding the schematics stored in your own servers. We had thought you'd keep better security, but we were gladly mistaken."

Kaiba didn't say anything for a while and I could almost hear his mind working. He kept his eyes on the man behind me, never once looking down at me. His face was blank, but his eyes were bright with anger and self disgust.

"What would it take to get you to return those designs to me?" Kaiba finally asked.

The man chuckled again and tightened his hand on my shoulder.

"You are not in a position to demand anything, Mr. Kaiba," was all the man said.

"Why did you call me here, then? Did you just want to rub what you'd gotten from my company in my face?"

The man suddenly pushed me away from him. The move was so unexpected that I stumbled and would have fallen if Kaiba hadn't reached out and steadied me. I blinked, wondering what I'd missed in the exchange. Why had I suddenly been let go?

"We brought you here to return him to you," the man said, pointing at me. "You wanted him back, did you not? Go. Take him and go. We won't stop you."

My heart suddenly sped up. They were letting us go? That was too easy. It went against everything I'd heard when I had first been kidnapped. No, this was another trick. I shook my head and pushed Kaiba's hand off my shoulder.

"No," I said. "He goes without me. You let him go, and I'll stay with you," I said, walking back to the man who'd been holding on to me earlier.

"Yugi, what are you doing?" Kaiba asked, his face a mask of anger and incredulity. "Get back here."

I shook my head again. How could I make him leave? If he left alone, maybe they wouldn't kill him. He didn't know what I knew and I couldn't tell him, so I had to make him leave.

"I don't want to go with you," I said, my voice shrill. My words hit Kaiba like a slap in the face, and he flinched. "Go back alone, Kaiba. Go back to your life. I don't want to be a part of it anymore."

His lips parted slightly, and I could see that his breathing had sped up. His eyes were cold, angry, but I could also see the hurt I'd put there. 'Please go, Kaiba. I don't want them to kill you,' I thought. Tears welled up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

_And I know this may be _

_The very last time that we see each other cry _

_But whatever happens know that I'll....  
_

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping that one day you'll come back again _

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth_

_Hoping that someday you'll come back to me _

_I'll be praying for whatever it's worth _

_Believing that one day you'll come back to me _

_I'll be standing at the edge of the earth _

_Hoping for someday _

He took a step towards me and then stopped. "What are you saying? You want to stay here with them? They killed your grandfather, Yugi, do you know that?"

I closed my eyes and one tear slid down my cheek. I hated to do this, but I was going to have to. It was the only way to get him to leave without me.

"It's your fault I became involved in this, Kaiba. This is your mess, not mine. My grandfather is dead because..." I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, but I knew that he'd finish it for me. His face suddenly hardened and his eyes became hard and angry.

"I will never be able to apologize enough for what this has cost you, Yugi," Kaiba finally said, his voice calm like a sheathed blade. "I'm sorry for getting you involved, for getting close," he said and I knew the last part had nothing to do with my grandfather and the situation and everything to do with us.

His face was blank, but I knew him enough to know that he'd taken my words to heart, and that he believed what I'd said. I felt my heart breaking at what I'd had to do, what I'd had to make him feel and hoped that one day, if we survived this, he'd understand and forgive me.

_Waiting for someday, believing in someday _

_Praying for someday, I'll be.... _

_Longing for someday, clinging to someday _

_Cherishing someday, I'll be.... _

_Thinking of someday, dreaming of someday _

_Wishing for someday, I'll be.... _

_Living for someday, counting on someday _

_Knowing that one day.... _

_I will see you_

* * *

Quick Edit is being a pain, so my apologies if some things don't make sense.  
  
Translations:  
  
1: When is Kaiba arriving?  
2: He'll arrive in thirty minutes.  
3: Maybe he'll decide that this boy isn't worth it and won't come at all.  
  
Spanish is my native language and I'm very proud of my Aztec heritage, so I'm very happy to get to use some of that in this story.  
  
Song credit: Standing at the Edge of the Earth, by Blessid Union of Souls

The next chapter will pick back up with Kaiba's POV.


	12. In Limbo

**Happy New Year!**

Yay, I'm so excited to start a new year. I wish you all the best in this coming year and I hope that everything works out the way you want it to. To celebrate, here is a treat. I hope you enjoy it.

**Summary**: _Yugi was taken to Teotihuacán and Kaiba was told to go there to get him back. He went and Yugi told him to leave without him, because he was no longer interested in Kaiba. Kaiba also learned that the weapon designs he'd thought he'd destroyed had fallen into his enemy's hands._

Now on to the new stuff. Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 12: In Limbo**

If there was anything I learned during my time with Gozaburo, it was to hide my feelings and project whatever I wanted others to see. This particular talent had come in handy in business many times, and it was coming in handy right now. Yugi wanted me to feel angry and hurt at the words he was saying, and I could do that, even though I didn't believe that he meant what he was saying. I had to stop for a minute and ask myself if it was just wishful thinking on my part, but after taking a careful look at Yugi, I decided that it wasn't wishful thinking. Yugi was just a lousy liar. One look at his big, expressive eyes told me as much.

I had to admit that the relationship we'd been slowly cultivating was not always easy. As a matter of fact, it was sometimes very difficult and very painful. Yugi and I came from entirely different backgrounds and had entirely different experiences and outlooks on life. He did things one way and expected me to follow the same path, but we almost always ended up clashing because of it. It was difficult finding a middle ground, a balance we were both comfortable with, but we'd been working on it. I was willing to deal with the fact that he was always upbeat and positive, while he was willing to put up with my volatile temper and quick mood changes. It had worked so far, and I refused to believe that I'd misread him, and what we'd managed to work through, so much that he'd turn on me so quickly.

When the words had first left Yugi's mouth, I had immediately reacted: my anger had surfaced and I'd become defensive. I had believed them, until I'd gotten a good look at him. Yugi's eyes had always been the most expressive things about him, and what they were telling me now did not amount to the fact that he never wanted to see me again. He had probably overheard something during his time with the kidnappers, something that more than likely had to do with my death and he either wanted to warm me or wanted me to leave to spare me by sacrificing himself. A part of me was angry that he was willing to do that. I didn't understand why he would do that, especially for someone like me, and I hated things that I didn't understand. I'd become a good business man by listening to my instincts, and right now they were telling me that Yugi was not to be left behind. Even if we both ended up perishing from this situation, at least we'd die together.

"I may not be in a position to negotiate, but I want my designs back."

I gritted my teeth as I said those words. I had destroyed those designs the day I'd taken over Kaiba Corporation, or so I thought. I didn't know how they had ended up with these petty criminals, but I had to get them back.

"I'm telling you that you and your boyfriend can leave, and you're still arguing about those designs?"

I glared at the man that had been holding Yugi. I was still taking in everything I'd been told and would personally see to it that both Shishio and Spencer got what they deserved when I got back to Japan. Right now, the designs, and Yugi, were the most important things on my mind.

"You seem to be in a big hurry to let us go," I said. "Don't tell me you're late to an appointment."

The man brought his weapon up and pointed it at Yugi. I moved in front of Yugi, blocking him from the man's aim, before I'd even realized what I'd done. The man laughed.

"I'm not running late, Mr. Kaiba, but I think you are."

Yup, these men were definitely up to something. I cursed myself for not bringing any of my more radical inventions, like the nice little jet pack that allowed me to fly. That would have done Yugi and me a lot of good right about now. I wasn't being given much of a choice, so I was not about to question what these men were offering. If they wanted to let us go, then we'd go. I sighed and turned to Yugi. After all, I still had a part to play.

"I'm sorry for getting you involved in this situation, Yugi, and I'm sorry about your grandfather," I said, my voice hard. Yugi winced, but his face was set in a determined mask. I had to give him credit, because he was very resilient. "However, I'm unwilling to leave you here to be killed or kept a prisoner. Since these gentlemen are so kindly offering to let us go, I suggest we take them up on their offer."

I'd been facing Yugi as I spoke, so I was able to immediately see the panic growing in his eyes as he realized I wasn't going to fall for his plan. I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head as he tried to come up with an alternate plan. He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to quiet him. I turned away from him and addressed the three men.

"Is this it? You lure me all the way to the other side of the world just to give Yugi back to me?"

The man that had been holding Yugi shrugged. "We were given orders to do just that. I don't want to disobey my superiors by not doing what I was told."

I wanted to laugh at the absurdness of it all, but I kept my composure. Laughing in these people's faces would not help our cause. Besides, I had other things to worry about, like how to get us both off the pyramid without being killed. It made sense to wait until we were descending, since we'd be exposed and in an area where our movements would be limited. I had taken a careful look around the area as I was walking to the pyramid, but the area was wide open. The only way to avoid being shot as we were leaving the pyramid, if that's the route the kidnappers chose to take, would be to jump off the steps. Depending on how far down the pyramid we were, that could be a very dangerous fall.

"Well, Mr. Kaiba, are you going to leave or stand here and waste our time?" the man who had been holding Yugi said.

I took Yugi by the arm and pulled him slowly to the edge of the pyramid. He resisted me at first by digging in his heels and attempting to pull away from me. I mouthed the word 'please' and he seemed to understand that I was planning something. I found that a bit amusing because I didn't have a clue about what I was going to do once we actually got to the steps. I stopped when we got to the edge of the pyramid. The two men that had been there when I'd come up were still there and were still pointing their guns at me. Their faces were almost blank, but I could still see the gleam of anticipation in their eyes. I turned my attention from their faces to their weapons and gave a small sigh of relief. The men were holding handguns, which we might be able to outrun, even going down the steep steps of the pyramid. On the other hand, the one that had been holding Yugi had an automatic weapon. I clenched my jaw in determination. We'd just have to make it down before the man could come within shooting range.

I took a deep breath and pushed Yugi onto the steps. Just as I'd thought, we had very little maneuverability. We stood on the edge for a split second, before I leaned down so that my mouth was next to Yugi's ears.

"Run," I whispered and pushed him forward. "They're going to start shooting, so run."

He spared one second to glance at me, before he took off running down the steps. I did the same and cursed when the steepness of them made me take two or more at a time. I heard the men above us start yelling, before the shooting started.

"Weave and duck, Yugi, don't run in a straight path," I yelled over the noise of the gunfire.

He didn't reply, but I could see him changing his position as he ran down the steps. He tripped a few times and my breath caught in my throat as he stumbled, but he managed to keep his footing and keep running. As I examined him, I noticed a few places on his arms that were bleeding. He'd probably gotten grazed by the bullets, just as I had. I had a few spots on my arms and legs that were burning, but nothing serious enough to denote an actual hit. I hoped that bullet grazes were the least of our problems. I'd left my car a few miles away from the pyramid so if we made it down the steps, we should have no trouble reaching it. My train of thought was disrupted when something hit me on the side of the head, by my right eye. I lost my vision temporarily, but it was enough to make me stumble. My long legs got tangled underneath me and I started to pitch forward. I would have fallen if not for a hand that gripped my coat. I was pulled back with enough force to send me onto my butt. I looked ahead of me but Yugi wasn't there. I got to my knees and looked behind me, and there was Yugi, standing directly in front of me with a red stain spreading across his chest. As I watched him, another bullet hit him, this time in the right shoulder. The force sent him forward into me and he managed to put his left hand onto my chest to catch himself.

"Go, Kaiba," he said and gave me a shove.

I was on my knees with my back to the steps when he pushed me. I tried to grab him to stop my fall or to bring him down with me, I wasn't sure which, but I had no way to catch myself and get to my feet enough so that I could grab him. I did the only thing I could and rolled my body into as tight of a ball as I could. My body hit the stone steps with more and more force as gravity took a hold of me and dragged me to the bottom, but the only thing I could see was the blood spreading across Yugi's chest and shoulder as he'd pushed me. I caught a glimpse of him as I fell. He had fallen face first onto the steps and was not moving. I wanted to scream, to stop my fall and get back up to go to him, but I couldn't defy the laws of gravity.

When I finally came to a stop, I was lying in a twisted heap at the bottom of the pyramid. The gunfire had stopped and only dead silence remained. My body burned and I couldn't tell exactly where I was hurt. I tried to get up, but couldn't even manage to turn my body. My limbs weren't responding. I dragged in as much oxygen as I could, and every breath burned deep inside my chest. I looked up the steps but couldn't see Yugi or anything else. I had to get up, I had to get to him and get us both back home, but I could do nothing but lie on the warm ground and breathe.

After some effort I was able to move my hand. If I could get to my cell phone, I could call for help. When I raised my arm, a sharp pain pierced the side of my body. I gasped and suddenly found that it had gotten dark. The surroundings disappeared and all I could see was the beckoning darkness. After a while of struggling against it, I gave in to it and knew no more.

* * *

"_Hey Mister, could you throw me the ball?"_

_I looked around, wondering who was speaking. A red headed little boy was yelling from the makeshift baseball field the kids had put together at the center of the large park. The area wasn't blocked off from the rest of the park so it was common for balls to come flying out of play every now and then. I didn't usually come to this part of the park for that reason, but I'd felt like watching the game today. I turned to the kid and he seemed happy to have finally caught my attention. _

"_Could you throw me the ball, please?" the little boy repeated and pointed to a spot behind me. _

_I picked up the baseball that had ended up on the ground next to the tree I was sitting in front of and threw it at the boy, who smiled and waved at me. _

"_Thank you very much!" he said and went back to his game. _

_A variety of people stood at the perimeter of the field to watch and encourage the kids as they played the game. Some were sitting on portable chairs while others sat on the ground or chose to stand. The people at the park that were not participating in the game jogged, had picnics, skated, or simply lay on the lush grass to enjoy the sunny afternoon. I took a deep breath and smiled at my surroundings. I loved this park. I'd been coming here every afternoon for as long as I could remember. I always walked around the lake, and once in a while came to watch the kids play. I waved at the red headed little boy, who had turned to look at me, before heading towards the lake. _

_Once I got there, I chose to sit by the water's edge instead of taking my usual walk. The weather was perfect, sunny and cool, and I didn't want to head back just yet. I looked up at the sky and momentarily lost myself in the unblemished blue of it. I took a deep breath, let it out, and grinned. I leaned over the edge of the lake and my grin widened. The water of the lake was very still, so my reflection in the water was as clear as it would be in any mirror, which always fascinated me. I dipped my hands in the water, disturbing the reflection and then brought them up to my face. The water was cool, but not too cold. It was the perfect temperature. _

_I lay on the grass by the edge and took another look around. Everything was absolutely perfect. The people weren't too intrusive or noisy. They were well mannered and friendly. The surroundings were beautiful, as if they'd been sculpted out of someone's imagination. There were no disruptions of any kind, just a peaceful day. _

_I suddenly began to feel something I hadn't felt in the time I'd been coming to this park: it was too perfect. Life was never like this. There were always difficulties, complications, and stress. People weren't kind or polite, they were cruel and vindictive. What caused me even more stress was that I wasn't like this. I was not the type to walk around enjoying the scenery. I always had too much to do, too much to think about, to let myself just stop and sit by a lake. I suddenly felt as if I were missing something terribly important. How long had I been wasting time wandering around this park? How long had I lost while talking to people that were entirely too nice or watching baseball games? Why did I feel like there was somewhere else I needed to be? _

_I got to my feet and looked around, seeing the park with a new perspective. Nothing in it had changed, it was as perfect as it had been the first time I had come, but it felt different to me now. Come to think of it, how long ago had I first come to his park? Why had I done so in the first place? Where was the park? It didn't look familiar to me at all and I couldn't remember how I'd gotten here. I began to panic. What was I supposed to do now? How could I get answers to all my questions if I didn't know where I was or how to get back to where I'd started from? _

"_I see you've finally come to your senses."_

_I turned to find the voice's owner staring at me with an amused look on his face. Seeing him brought me immense joy, while at the same time it brought me a sorrow so deep that I could drown in it if I wasn't careful. _

"_Do you know what this place is, Mokuba?" I asked my little brother. 'My dead little brother' I added to myself. _

"_This is a place of your own making, big brother," Mokuba replied. He held out his arms to take in our surroundings. "This is what you wanted, Seto, this was your escape."_

_I frowned. Since when did Mokuba speak in riddles? ._

"_You're dead, Mokuba."_

_Mokuba raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "What's your point?"_

"_I'm standing here talking to you," I said, "don't you think it's a little weird?"_

_He laughed and walked closer to me. He placed his hand on my arm, which sent a shiver up the arm and down my spine. I could touch him, he could touch me. Something was seriously wrong with this picture. Mokuba had the decency to look embarrassed at my question, which I was grateful for. It made things seem a little bit more normal. _

"_Weird, yes, but it's not impossible. It's about time you realized that this world you created is not where you belong."_

_Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. What was my little brother talking about now? I looked around once again and frowned. _

"_This doesn't exactly look like something I'd create, Mokuba. It's too peaceful, too perfect. You know that I don't look at life this way."_

"_It fits if when you created it you were looking for an escape from something you couldn't handle, Seto," Mokuba said. "Think back to the last thing you remember before you came to this park. I think your mind is finally ready to face it."_

_I thought back for a moment. It was funny how I remembered my life in bits in pieces. Unfortunately, the pieces I would have liked to forget about, namely my time with Gozaburo, were still intact. My later life, however, was almost entirely gone. I remembered high school a bit and a company I owned, but not much more than that. There was a game I played too, a card game. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of it. What was I doing before I came to the park? How had I ended up here? Suddenly, the sound of gunfire invaded my senses. It was so real that I actually ducked, before I realized that it was only in my head. _

"_Gunfire," I said, and Mokuba just continued to look at me._

_What was the reason for the gunfire? _

**"Run. They're going to start shooting, so run."**

_That was my voice, but who was I talking to? The gunfire was so loud, but I could still hear myself speaking._

**"Weave and duck, Yugi, don't run in a straight path."**

_Yugi? It took a moment for a face to accompany that name: big, expressive, violet eyes, wild hair, and a pyramid shaped necklace around his neck. We were running away from the gunfire. Our path was steep and treacherous, but we had to keep running. _

**"Go, Kaiba," Yugi said and gave me a shove.**

_There had been blood on his shirt, spreading across his chest. _

_Suddenly, it all came back to me in a rush that left me on my knees gasping for air. I remembered the pyramid, the desperate escape down the steps, and the fact that the last time I'd seen Yugi he'd been lying face down, unmoving. I remembered my tumble down the steps and the sheer agony once I'd landed. I'd passed out and ended up here, in this park. _

"_How long have I been here, Mokuba? Am I dead?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer. _

_Mokuba kneeled so that he could peer at my lowered face. He put a hand on my chin and lifted my face to meet his. _

"_I can't tell you how long you've been here, Seto, because we do not measure time the same way you do. I can tell you, however, that it's not too late to go back. You're not dead yet, but if you stay here much longer, your soul will become anchored here and your body will die."_

"_What about Yugi, did he die?" _

_Mokuba smiled and brushed my hair away from my face as I had done for him so many times during his life. _

"_I don't know about Yugi, Seto. I'm connected to you because you're my brother. I'm here to tell you that it's time to go back."_

_Go back to where? If Mokuba was dead and Yugi was dead, what was there for me to go back to? I was about to voice this issue, when the surroundings began to change. The park disappeared and was replaced by an open field at the foot of a mountain. _

"_Go, Seto," Mokuba said. "It's not time for you to join us yet."_

_With those words, I was being pulled towards the peak of the mountain. I managed to look down to see Mokuba still standing where I'd left him. He waved, but I couldn't wave back. The mountain peak rushed at me until even that disappeared, replaced only by a bright yellow light. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the sensation, before losing sense of myself completely.

* * *

_

When I opened my eyes again I was met with a view of my ceiling. I knew it was my ceiling because I saw it every day when I woke up. I hadn't the faintest idea how I ended up back in my room, and I wondered if this was another 'world', as Mokuba had put it, that I had invented. It had to be; because the last place I remembered being was on the other side of the world. The only way to find out for sure was to get out of bed and explore, and I attempted to do just that. The only problem was that my body didn't want to move. At first, it refused to move at all. After a few panicky minutes, however, my limbs started to work again. I half expected the sharp pain that had accompanied movement when I was lying at the foot of the pyramid in Mexico to reappear, but I didn't feel any pain. Instead, I felt the ache that comes from lying down for too long. It was more as if my body was tired from lack of use than from injury, and I had to wonder about that. It could be jet lag. After all, I did just come back from Mexico.

When I finally made it up to a sitting position, I noticed that I was wearing my light blue, silk pajamas. I hadn't put them on and the thought of someone else undressing me sent chills down my spine. I would deal with that later, however. Right now, I wanted answers and I was going to take a look around the mansion until I got them. As I got out of bed, a thought occurred to me: if I was home, relatively unharmed, could Yugi be here as well? The thought sent an extra dose of adrenaline surging through my veins and I was able to move a bit faster.

I made it out of my room with no trouble, except that I was very tired. My limbs were sluggish and it took great effort to move them. I was panting as well, and I wondered when I'd gotten so out of shape that I couldn't walk the short distance between my bed and the door to my room. The injuries I sustained in Mexico could be an explanation. I'd talk to my doctor about that later.

Out in the hallway I noticed that the house was very quiet. I wondered what time of the day it was, since usually the servants were bustling about cleaning and doing their duties. I supposed the best place to start looking for an answer was my office, so I headed there. I let myself in and was surprised at the feeling of abandonment I got from it. The computers were turned off, the blinds were drawn, and the paperwork I usually left scattered on the desk and surrounding tables and chairs had been picked up and put away. Why would the servants do that? They knew not to mess with any of the paperwork I left around.

Confused and feeling even more exhausted, I left the office. I heard the sound of a television coming from the den and decided to head there next. If I could find my butler I could ask him how I'd gotten back home. Hell, at this point, anyone else knew more than I did, which irritated me to no end. I wasn't used to being in the dark, and it was getting to me.

The walk down the stairs was painstakingly slow, and I had to stop every now and then to fight the memories of the mad dash down the steps of the Pyramid of the Sun. I'd deal with that later as well, once my confusion was taken care of. When I got to the den, I saw that the television that dominated most of the back wall had been left on and tuned to the news channel. My desk was full of paperwork and the computer was running. I guess I'd decided to work downstairs instead of in my office like I usually did. That was strange, but not impossible. I still didn't understand why I didn't remember the last time I'd worked here.

I walked to the desk and shuffled through the paperwork. There were various financial and personnel reports among some other documents. Seeing the financial reports reminded me of Shishio and Spencer. I had to get started on their punishment right away. I sat behind the desk and had my fingers on the keyboard to start working when a news report caught my attention.

"Early yesterday afternoon, Kaiba Corporation CEO Joseph Wheeler held a press conference to clear up the rumors circulating in the press about their newest project. Here is what he had to say."

My eyes were glued to the television, even though I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"As all of you have no doubt heard by now, there is a rumor going around that the blueprints for our Longhorn holographic systems were stolen by Tai International in Germany. That is simply not true," the Joey on the television said.

My eyes were glued to him, because he looked nothing like I remembered him. His hair had been cut short and was neatly styled. He was wearing a navy blue suit and held himself with an air of self confidence and seemed at ease speaking to the press. His words were precise and intelligent, which was unlike the image of Joey Wheeler I had in my head.

"The blueprints were misplaced by one of our designers, but they have been found safe and sound in our own company. I'm not sure who began the rumors, but they are unfounded. Development for Longhorn is proceeding as scheduled, and you all will be the first to know when we are ready for the release."

The scene of the press conference cut away to that of the anchor woman.

"You heard it here first; Kaiba Corp. CEO Wheeler has officially dispelled the rumors. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what else they come up with."

I sat at the desk with my mouth hanging open. Had I fallen into an alternate dimension where Joey Wheeler was a respectable member of the business community and head of MY company? Maybe I had died in Mexico after all and this was the hell I'd been sent to. My thoughts were interrupted when the sound of glass shattering drew my attention to the doorway that led from the den to the kitchen. Joey Wheeler stood there, dressed in a black suit this time, his mouth hanging open and his eyes widened in shock. The coffee cup he'd been holding had fallen from his now limp fingers and shards of porcelain now littered the floor at his feet, along with the spilled coffee.

"Kaiba?" he whispered barely loud enough for me to hear.

I got up from the chair and slowly made my way to Wheeler.

"What is the meaning of this, Wheeler? What the hell do you think you're doing running my company? On whose authority did you take over?"

Joey didn't say anything, he just stared at me. His brown eyes showed me nothing but surprise, not even the anger I would have associated with him, and it was in that moment that I realized that his jaw was no longer wired shut, as it had been the last time I'd seen him.

"Say something, damn it!" I yelled and that seemed to break him out of his trance.

"You're awake. My goodness, you're finally awake."

He made as if to put his arms around me but then thought better of it. As I examined him, it dawned on me that he was now almost as tall as I was. His face was longer, leaner, and his eyes no longer held that barely controlled rage that had always been there before. Joey held himself confidently and was no longer like a coiled snake ready to strike. What the hell was going on?

I began to feel light headed. I put my hand on my forehead to calm the dizziness, and was surprised when I felt Joey's hand take my other arm and guide me to the closest sofa. He sat me down and then sat beside me. He looked at me, opened him mouth to speak but nothing came out. He looked like he was at a complete loss of what to say that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"Spit it out, will you? You're driving me crazy. What is going on here?"

Joey didn't speak. He reached behind me and started messing with my hair. It took me a while to realize that he was undoing a tie that held my hair back. When he was finished, I was surprised to feel that my hair fell down to my shoulders. I frowned. My hair wasn't that long. I had never worn it that long. Fascinated, I ran my fingers though the silky strands that felt alien around my shoulders and chin. I looked up at Joey who smiled sheepishly at me.

"We thought we'd leave it a bit longer than you used to wear it so that you'd be better able to believe us when we told you what happened."

I was beginning to lose my patience with him and it must have showed on his face, because he took a deep breath and began his story.

"Ryou Bakura and I were on the plane you took to Mexico to get Yugi. We snuck on board when you weren't looking. When we got off the plane and made it to the ruins, we found you at the base of the pyramid. You were almost dead, Kaiba. Most of your bones were broken and you had some bullet wounds, one to the head," he explained and pointed to my temple, where I remembered being hit. "The doctors did all they could for you, and after some time we brought you home. You've been in a coma ever since."

There was something else, I could tell. Joey was hiding something, holding something back.

"What aren't you telling me, Wheeler."

Joey took a deep breath and then expelled it. "That happened a little over five years ago."

I stared at him, digesting what he had said. Boy had he picked a wrong time to joke with me. I started to laugh, which only confused Joey.

"You couldn't come up with something better than that, Wheeler? Do you really expect me to believe that I've just lost five years of my life?"

"If you don't believe me, Kaiba, look at the wounds you received that day. They've all scarred by now. Your broken bones have healed, as you may have noticed from the lack of pain."

I did as he suggested and took off my pajama top. I ran my fingers down my right arm where I remembered being hit. I came across the injuries, but instead of them being swollen and still healing, they were completely scarred. I shook my head in disbelief and got up from the couch. I walked to the other end of the den where a mirror hung on the wall and looked at my reflection. My face was pale and my eyes were wide and bright. My hair was a lot longer than I remembered it being. My bangs were still the same length, but the rest of it fell to my shoulders. What drew my attention was my right eyebrow. There was a scar running from it to a point just in front of my ear. I closed my eyes and recalled when the bullet had hit me. It had caused me to stumble, and I would have fallen if Yugi hadn't pulled on my coat to steady me. It was what had eventually gotten him shot. I ran my fingers over the completely healed wound and felt my stomach churning in fear.

"What about Yugi," I asked, "if you found me, did you find him too?"

When Joey didn't reply, I turned to him. His face had darkened and I could see the pain in his eyes.

"We looked for him but didn't find him, Kaiba. All we found were blood stains on the steps."

The dizziness returned and I couldn't keep myself upright any longer. I sank to my knees and put my hands on my head. This couldn't be happening to me. It couldn't be happening. Yugi was gone and I had lost the last five years of my life.

It wasn't possible.

* * *

I'm sure there are some confused people out there. I didn't plan to write it quite in this order originally, but the last chapter threw me off and things not longer fit the way I thought they would.. I hope this wasn't too confusing. 

Until next time!!


	13. Esperanza

Greetings! After a bit of an absence, Last Goodbye is back. I'm getting really excited about this story, so I hope to be able to write a bit faster and post more chapters soon.

**Summary**: Kaiba wakes up to find that he's been in a coma for five years, and that Yugi is still missing and presumed dead.

Reviews:

**Luthien-Defender**: I didn't kill Yugi. Where in the chapter does it say that:o) Just remember, if you kill me, you'll never see the end of this story, or Intruders. Keep that in mind while sharpening your blades.

**Ashla**: Thanks for the review. I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, twists and all.

**Mimiheart**: I'm innocent, completely innocent! Just read on and find out why I'm innocent. However, I am guilty of messing with Kaiba's head. It's fun.

**YumeTakato**: I hope that the explanation provided will answer your questions. If not, let me know.

**My Daze**: Hello there and welcome to my wacky world! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**Saiyan Jedi**: Yes, I'm mean… I should join some rehabilitation group or something. Do you think they make something like that? I can see it now: Fiction Character Torturers Anonymous. Hmmm… it has a nice ring to it. If there isn't one already, maybe I should start one. Thanks for the review!

**Solitaire: **You weren't expecting that, weren't you? I figured no one would… yes, it's going to be very hard on Kaiba. I admit, sometimes I feel bad for all the things I put the poor boy through, but it usually only lasts for a minute or two. Then the muses get going and I forget my guilt. You enjoy it though, admit it. I won't tell anyone… :o)

I don't think this story will be as long as my other ones. I don't think I could handle another long one, and I know its torture for you all as well. The answers will come in due time, I promise!

Ohhh, X-Files music. I loved the soundtrack to that movie. I think I've heard the song you mentioned. I thought I had the CD but I couldn't find it when I looked for it. Oh, well… all of the music for that, especially Mark Snow's was always creepy! Thanks for the review!

**Nhaar**: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**Nenya85: **See, I'm not always cold and ruthless to poor Kaiba. I do give him a break every once in a while. You know I totally adore Mokuba and I just can't have this story without him. He's got to be hanging around, watching out for his big brother. After all, Seto did it for Mokuba, not the little brother is repaying the favor. Thanks so much for the review!

**Hobbit13**: Yup, he does have a jet pack. It was unveiled at the beginning of the Kaiba Grand Prix arc. He makes quite a splash when he uses it to enter the stadium, and steal the applause and attention Yugi was getting. It was cool! You can borrow Kaiba, as long as you promise to return him to me in one piece. I have further need for him, after all. Just to keep the record straight, I didn't kill Yugi. I couldn't do that to the poor chibi-chan. He's way too cute.

**Yana5**: The next chapter is coming out right now. Just kidding. I have a rather erratic writing schedule, because I work full time and go to school part time, so I write whenever I get a chance. I hope this wasn't too long of a wait, though.

**Handmaiden of Aphrodite**: I am cruel… but everyone enjoys my cruelty so I've had no reason to change :o) I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story, and I agree with you about the smiling thing. I do have a tendency to have Kaiba smile a bit more than usual, especially since in the anime, the only time he smiles is when he's being maniacal. I guess it's that I wish he'd smile more, so I tend to write that in.

What do you mean you'd like more angst? There isn't enough of it already? LOL! I found that funny because most people tell me that there's too much angst. Wait a couple of chapters and the angst factor should increast. Thanks for the review!

**Arasoi**: Thank you very much for your lovely comments. They put a huge smile on my face. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I know it's hard to keep your interest with such a span between chapters, so I appreciate the support. +hugs reviewers+

Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 13: Esperanza**

I got out of the car at the end of the narrow, cement path leading to the back of the cemetery and walked up the small hill. The breeze had picked up, and it blew my hair into my face. I pushed it out of the way and gasped as the length of it surprised me once again. I shivered and tightened the coat around my shoulders. It wasn't one of my customary coats, just something I'd found draped over the back of a sofa on my mad rush out of the mansion. A part of my mind told me that the navy blue, dress coat probably belonged to Wheeler, but I didn't really care. Confused or not, I wasn't about to go out of the mansion in only my pajamas, and the long coat hid most of them very well.

When I made it to the top of the hill and around the group of trees that hid this particular gravesite from the rest of the cemetery, I breathed a sigh of relief. The gravesite looked almost the same as the last time I'd seen it. It was as pristine as it had always been, with fresh flowers adorning the headstone as I'd instructed. The only thing to indicate that time had passed was the tree behind the headstone. It had been freshly planted when Mokuba had been buried. Now, the tree was slightly taller than the headstone itself. The sight of that tree behind my brother's headstone brought my reality crashing down on me like nothing else, not even Joey Wheeler, had been able to do. I dropped to my knees beside my brother's headstone and ran my fingers over the engraved characters.

"What happened to me, Mokuba? How could I have lost so much time?"

I waited for an answer, half expecting my brother to speak to me again as he'd done so before I'd woken up. I closed my eyes and pictured my brother as I had seen him in that dream state, alive, happy, and wiser than he'd ever been when he was alive. My heart ached with longing at the image. I should have stayed with my brother. At least there I had someone that cared for me, someone to care for. What did I have here other than endless confusion and sorrow? What was there for me? Why had I ever survived that fall? I shook my head to clear it of those negative thoughts. My brother's grave was not the place to dwell on those things.

"I really miss you, Mokuba," I said. "I would give anything if I could bring you back. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do now. Nothing makes sense anymore."

It hurt to admit that I was clueless, confused, and that I could no longer control my situation, but there was no one around me to hear or to criticize me for my weakness. This was the one place I felt as if I could just be myself, without the need for the masks, just as I had been with my brother.

I opened my eyes and sat cross-legged on the ground besides the grave. I took deep breaths to ease the sudden tightness in my chest and to fight off the dizziness. The walk up the hill had never left me this tired before and I wondered why it had this time. Wheeler had mentioned that I had been immobile for a while, five years to be exact, which sort of explained why my body felt alien and unused. It probably hadn't been a very good idea to run out of the mansion and take one of the cars, but I hadn't been able to stand it there any longer. Wheeler was probably out looking for me now, and I had no doubt that he'd find me, but for now, I was content with the peace my brother gave me.

It all still seemed like a dream to me. I half expected to wake up at any moment, back at the base of that pyramid. On the way to the cemetery, I had willed myself to wake up, to go back to where I'd been, but nothing had happened. I was still here, in this nightmare that had suddenly become my life. Wheeler had told me a bit about what had happened during the last five years, but I hadn't been able to handle it. I'd run out, as if by not hearing what Wheeler had to say, I could still pretend that it wasn't real and that I would wake up and go back to my life. It hadn't happened so far, and I was beginning to realize that I was stuck here.

I still couldn't wrap my brain around all of the changes, especially when it came to Joey Wheeler. He was not the same irritable and volatile young man he'd been the last time I'd seen him. He was mature, calm, and rational. I no longer saw the irritation and anger in his eyes that had been customary before. Now, there was peace in his eyes, as well as worry. I wasn't sure if that worry was for me or for something else entirely, but whatever it was, it had aged him. His eyes seemed older than they should be. So many things had happened here, and yet, to me, so little had happened. I still expected to go to the game shop and find Yugi there with his grandfather. I'd actually done that when I left the mansion, and had been shocked to find that the game shop was no longer there. Another store had taken its place. I did remember that the game shop had been burned to the ground, but it still seemed too soon to have another store in its place.

"There you are, Kaiba. I figured I'd find you here."

Startled and ashamed at having been caught off guard, I turned to see Wheeler walking up the small hill towards me. He was taking his time, walking slowly and deliberately as if to give me plenty of notice of his approach, until he dropped down to sit beside me. He tucked his legs under him and I had to admit that he looked ridiculous sitting on the ground in his suit. He must have noticed something on my face because he looked down at himself and smirked.

"It's different, isn't it?" he asked. "Believe me, if you had told me that I'd end up here in five years, I would have thought you'd gone crazy."

"I think I have gone crazy," I said softly.

The antagonism that Wheeler usually invoked in me was gone. I no longer felt the need to fight him or to goad him into fighting me. I wasn't sure why that was. Maybe I was too exhausted to waste the energy. Maybe, and it was a huge maybe, I was so lost and alone that I welcomed any kind conversation, even Wheeler's.

Wheeler looked at me and smiled sadly. "I bet it feels that way. You'll manage, though. You've always been able to. It'll just take time, and patience." He paused and looked away for a moment, before he returned his gaze to me. "You have to accept this, Kaiba. It's not a lie, it's not an illusion. Like it or not, this is now your life."

Wheeler's words cut through me like a blade, and I had to look away from him. I focused on Mokuba's headstone, but that just made my eyes fill with tears. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, until the urge to cry subsided. I half expected to be taunted for my weakness, for letting down my guard, but it never happened.

"I'm just glad you're awake, Kaiba. It's been a hellish five years, wondering if you were ever going to wake up again," Wheeler finally said. "The injuries you sustained in the fall should have killed you. Half of the bones in your body were broken, and that bullet that grazed your temple fractured your skull. You should be getting looked at by your doctor right now, instead of running around Domino." Wheeler paused again and I turned to look at him. "We'll get to that in due time, however. Right now, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Ask and I'll do my best to answer them."

I took a deep breath and looked around, wondering if we should really be having this conversation next to my brother's grave. Then it hit me that there could be no better place. I needed all of the peace and tranquility I could get in my suddenly crazy reality, and there had never been anyone better than my brother to give that to me.

"What happened to Shishio and Spencer?" I asked.

"They're in jail," Wheeler quickly replied, which brought great relief to me. I would have hated to think that after everything Yugi and I had lost, those two had managed to get away. "Hisaki Miagi used the documents you gave him before you went to Mexico to prosecute those two," Wheeler continued. "They were convicted of embezzlement and, in Shishio's case, assault, attempted murder, and kidnapping. Spencer is going to serve 10 years in a federal prison in the United States. He cut a deal with the prosecutors and turned on Shishio. Shishio, for his part, was sentenced to 25 years here in Japan. You have excellent lawyers, Kaiba."

I had to smirk at that comment. "They certainly get pain enough," I said. "Well, they did back when I paid them," I added.

"We never could find the men that shot at you and Yugi," Wheeler added. "They just disappeared, just like Yugi did."

I had to look away again to regain my composure as a sudden flash of Yugi's blood soaked shirt came into my mind. When I was sure I had managed, I spoke again. "What does the rest of the world know about me? Am I dead to everyone else?"

Wheeler chuckled, which only made me frown in confusion. "No, Kaiba, you're not dead. I did consider it, though," Wheeler added, which made a bit of the old anger spark again. "I'm just kidding," he said with a small smile when he saw my expression. "You took your brother's death terribly hard and decided to step down for a while until you could sort things out. You left for a self discovery journey around the world and have yet to return." Wheeler grinned at me as he spoke. "No one except for Ryou, me, and a few close confidants at the company and at the mansion know what really happened."

I was speechless. Somehow, the idea of my having taken a break from my company seemed harder to accept than the fact that I'd been in a coma for five years.

"How did you manage to appoint yourself CEO? It's not like you have any experience doing that job," I asked, a trace of that old anger showing in my voice.

Wheeler shook his head. "That is actually an even longer story. Originally, Ryou was supposed to head the company. However, it became apparent that he was much better with other aspects of the company, like security and all of the legal stuff, so the job fell to me. Ryou is in law school now, so he's making it official. He'll be one of your highly paid lawyers in a few months," Wheeler added with a smile. "Kumiko and Charles helped us get a hold of your personal documents and we forged your power of attorney. We then made it so that you left control of the company to me. I know, it's hard to believe," Wheeler added when I opened my mouth to say that I would never in my right mind have left my company to him, "but the idea was that you were grieving for your brother and not in your right frame of mind. I went to the University of Tokyo and majored in International Business so that I'd at least know what I was doing. I learned as I went along as well. It's a hard job, Kaiba. I never truly appreciated it for what it was and what it meant for you to be able to do it at such a young age."

The unexpected praise left me speechless once again. I was tempted to say something sarcastic, but the honesty in Wheeler's eyes and tone kept my mouth shut.

"I'm surprised my competitors didn't eat you alive," I finally said.

"Believe me, they tried. They figured that without you, the company was helpless. They were right up to a point. They just didn't count on you having so many people loyal to you who were willing to pull out all of the stops to make it work, not to mention teach Ryou and I along the way."

I frowned. "I never realized that anyone gave a damn about me or the company. I just figured they were there to make money like everyone else."

"Some of them were. We cleaned house about a year into your unexpected absence and got rid of a lot of people that wanted nothing more than to see the company fail. There were enough people, both at the company and at the mansion, that were loyal to you, which helped us keep it together this long."

I looked away from Wheeler and concentrated on the trees behind him. The thought that everything seemed so unreal, so impossible, once again entered my mind, and yet, it couldn't be. I had seen the report on the news myself and knew that my company was still standing. My head was beginning to ache with all the information I'd just been given.

"We should probably head back to the mansion," Wheeler said. "You scared the staff half to death with your disappearing act."

"Wait, one more thing," I said. "What happened to the Moto's shop?"

Wheeler looked at me for a moment, as if deciding just how much to tell me. I saved him the trouble.

"I know that it burned down and that Mr. Moto died in the fire. You attacked me at Mr. Moto's funeral, remember? It just seems a bit soon to have another store built in its place."

Wheeler visibly relaxed. He must have though I didn't remember the fire that had destroyed the shop. "Yugi owns the land that new store is built on. Mr. Moto's will stated that Yugi was to own everything after his death, so we didn't want to do anything with the land until Yugi decided what to do with it. We built that store in place of the game shop and rented it. The money is kept in an account for Yugi, for when he comes back."

Wheeler got to his feet and waited for me to do the same. I stood at the foot of the grave and looked at Mokuba's name once more. With a small wave, I turned and followed Wheeler back to his car.

"I'll drive us back home. Ken can take your car back."

I nodded and got into the passenger seat of the car. "I want to go to Kaiba Corp." I said as Wheeler settled in behind the wheel.

"I don't think you want to show up after five years wearing my coat over your pajamas, do you?" Wheeler said and pointed at me.

I looked down at myself and groaned softly. "No, I guess not."

"Besides," Wheeler said, "you really need to have the doctor check you out. You don't look too well right about now, and it probably feels a lot worse than it looks."

I laid my head on the window and sighed. As much as I wanted to appear whole, healthy, and in control, I didn't have the energy to keep up the façade much longer. Wheeler must have taken that as agreement because he put the car in gear and drove us out of the cemetery. Halfway to the mansion, a thought struck me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

Wheeler looked at me out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "Why am I driving you home, because you need to rest and see the doctor," he replied.

I shook my head because he'd misunderstood my question. "No, I mean why did you do all of this? Why did you bother with me or my company? You could have let it go down; you could have left me to die in Mexico. Why didn't you? The last time I saw you, you had your jaw wired shut because I broke it. Why did you help me?"

Wheeler didn't answer my questions right away. I could see his jaw clenching and unclenching as he thought of an answer, and for a split second, I saw the Joey Wheeler that he used to be, the one that had loved to irritate me into fighting him, either verbally or physically, and it made me wonder if all he'd told me before had been a lie. I felt betrayed at the prospect of Wheeler being just another one of those people that used others for their own ends, and foolish that I'd let myself be used.

"Honestly," Wheeler finally said, "at first I did it for Yugi. I didn't want to help you, but for some bizarre reason, Ryou did."

I shoved down my sudden anger enough so that I could at least give Wheeler the courtesy of listening to his explanation.

"I was angry as hell at you for breaking my jaw. I wanted nothing more than to shove your head into the nearest concrete wall for it. Then I was angry at you for getting Yugi involved in your mess, and for causing Mr. Moto's death and Yugi's disappearance." Wheeler trailed off and I waited patiently for him to continue. "Ryou wanted to help you, because he knew you were getting into something you couldn't handle on your own. He dragged me along because no one else would help him. I figured that helping you would help us find Yugi, so that's what I did."

Wheeler turned to look at me then, for a moment, but it was enough to make me realize that he wasn't lying, and that the anger I'd seen in his face was long gone.

"I stayed on and went along with the plan because we needed your resources to look for Yugi. You had the money, the influence, the people, and the power to get us to places we couldn't have gotten to on our own. After a while though, I wasn't merely playing a role. After a while, Kaiba Corp. became my company as well, and I wanted it to succeed and to flourish as much as anyone. It became personal, and I gave it the best I could. We still used your resources and your money to look for Yugi, but we were no longer just using what you had. Somewhere along the way, I started to give a damn, and here I am."

I didn't know what to say. I don't remember ever hearing such a simple, heartfelt, and honest speech from Wheeler, and it was taking my brain a little while to process it. A part of me still felt betrayed at having my company used like it had, but then again, Wheeler and Bakura had wanted to find Yugi. I couldn't fault them for that. Another part of me felt a bit disappointed that they hadn't done it for me, but I should have expected that. It had been foolish to think that they would want to help me out simply for me. It was better this way, though. Doing something in return for something else I could understand and deal with. Wheeler had been honest, and I had to give him credit for that. The company was still standing and that was all that mattered.

"Were you able to find anything on Yugi? Is he still alive?"

Wheeler turned to me again and thankfully said nothing about my sudden change of topic. "Yugi just disappeared. His body was never found and there's been no trace of him since the last time he was with you. We have private investigators in Mexico City and the surrounding areas, as well as here in our country, but nothing has come up. Yugi is just gone."

Wheeler's voice broke slightly at the last sentence, and I understood how he felt. I had tried to save us both, but in the end, Yugi had paid the price for my actions and for getting involved with me. As long as there wasn't a body, however, I was not going to give up. I would move heaven and earth until I found him.

* * *

After being in a coma for five years, I was a bit nervous about going to sleep. I knew it was silly, but I had this feeling that if I went to sleep, I might wake up only to find out that five more years had passed. I was still trying to digest everything I'd been told in the process of the day, trying to make sense of the years I had already lost, and I didn't think I could handle losing five more years. So instead of putting on my pajamas and getting in bed, I stood in the bathroom after my shower in only a towel and examined myself in the mirror. The hair was still very hard to get used to. It hung in wet strands down to my shoulders and hid half of my face. I ran my fingers through it and wondered whether I should have it cut back to my regular style. There was something about it that brought home to me just how different my life was now, that I decided I would keep it the way it was. I looked at the rest of my body, taking inventory of the scars I'd acquired sine the last time I'd showered on my own. There were plenty. I'd apparently undergone a number of surgeries to piece me back together after my fall. I had the doctor's medical report on my bed, but I hadn't read it yet. I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to read it.

Dr. Watanabe had been happy to see me awake and on my feet, but he'd still insisted on a battery of tests. It had taken two hours of prodding and probing to satisfy him and he'd finally left me alone. After the doctor had gone, Kumiko had come in to see me. I don't remember ever seeing her so lively and excited, and her mood was almost contagious. I kept my composure as always, but I know she can see past that by now. She had made sure I didn't need or want anything, before taking her leave. Charles had visited me next and had given me an abridged account of what had been going on in the mansion for the past five years. I had to admit that I was surprised to see that they were both still here, and a part of me was pleased. Wheeler had been the last to invade my solitude, but that was only to tell me that Ryou would be by tomorrow morning to see me.

Now, finally alone and showered, I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't want to go to sleep, so I got into my pajamas, dragged all of the files, newspaper clippings, and other reports I'd made Wheeler give me, and took them to bed. I got under the covers and reached for the topmost item, but a newspaper nestled in between two other folders caught my eye. I fished it out of the pile and stared at the picture on the front page, a picture of Yugi and me at the restaurant I took him to for our first date. I ran my finger over his bright, smiling face, and a lump formed in my throat. What had I done? Why did I ever think I could have a life, a relationship, with someone? I had done nothing but ruin Yugi's life. Looking at the picture, I wished I could go back in time and change everything. Of course, I'd wished that before as well, when Mokuba had fallen off that bar and broken his neck. I knew it was irrational and childish, but the ache in my chest didn't diminish with my logic. I wanted Mokuba back. I wanted Yugi back. Both had been hurt because of me and I couldn't understand why, with all I had done in my life, I was still around, breathing, while two wonderful people who deserved a good life a lot more than I did were no longer enjoying theirs.

I hurled the newspaper across the room and it landed on the floor in the middle of the room. Forgetting the rest of the files, I curled up and closed my eyes, feeling as alone and hopeless as I had the day my father had been killed. At least then I'd had Mokuba to live for. I didn't bother wiping the tears when they began to fall. I just let me sorrow take over, until I fell into a dream filled and uneasy sleep.

* * *

"_You left me to die, you coward."_

_I couldn't refute the statement, so I remained quiet. I was standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful sight. The clear, blue skies seemed more vibrant than usual, and the sun reflected off the ocean water so brightly that it looked as if the ocean was being illuminated from beneath. In the distance I could see the cruise ships that came into Domino harbor every once in a while, and wished that I could be on one of them, enjoying the peaceful afternoon with the people I loved. _

"_You can't even turn to face me?"_

_No, I can't. I thought it, but didn't say it. He was right; I couldn't turn to face him. I didn't want to see the anger, the blame, and the disappointment in his beautiful eyes. It was so unlike him to yell and insult me, which was another reason why I couldn't turn to face him. I didn't want to see his face marred by anger and disdain, especially when it was directed at me. I would let him have his say, and then I'd let him take his revenge in whatever way he chose. I deserved it, after all. _

_I heard him move towards me, but still I refused to turn around. His hand tightened around my arm and turned me with a strength I wouldn't have thought he possessed. I didn't want to look at him, but at the same time, I couldn't turn away. His face was twisted into a mask of anger, his eyes bright with hate. He kept his hand on my arm as he spoke, his words so fierce and strong that spittle flew from his mouth to land on my white shirt. _

"_I hate you! I wish I had never gotten involved with you," he yelled. "Why do you always get away with everything? Why do you always come out on top while the rest of us have to suffer for your mistakes?"_

_I looked into his bright, violet eyes and could not give him an answer. I knew that he wouldn't believe anything I said, which is why I'd kept quiet up until now. I wanted to reach out and kiss him so badly, but knew that if I did that, he was likely to push me off the cliff right then and there. _

"_Say something, damn it, or am I not important enough, worthy enough, for you to speak to me?"_

_I swallowed past the lump in my throat and hoped that my voice wouldn't crack when I spoke. _

"_I'm sorry, Yugi. I'm sorry for getting you involved in my life. I'm sorry for caring about you, I'm sorry for wanting to get to know you. I'm sorry for everything."_

_Yugi laughed at me. "You're sorry? That's rich. I don't believe you, you bastard. You lie for a living; you manipulate people to get your way. That's what you did to me. You wanted a scapegoat and you sweet talked me into being it!"_

_He punctuated each sentence by pushing me back a bit, until I was standing with only the front half of my feet on the cliff. It reminded me of our duel on top of Pegasus' castle. I would have died for my brother that day, just as I would have died in Mexico if it had meant saving Yugi's life. _

"_I didn't mean to hurt you," I whispered. _

"_I don't care anymore. I want you out of my life where you can't hurt me anymore!"_

_With one final shove, I was sent flying over the side of the cliff. As I fell, I saw the pleased look on his face and realized that I wasn't afraid to die. This was no more than I deserved for all of the damage I'd done in my life, and especially for what I'd done to him. I was almost to the bottom of the cliff when I heard knocking. I looked around but didn't see anything that could be causing the knocking. A few seconds later, it came again. Frowning, distracted for a moment, I was caught by surprise when I hit the water. The impact sent a wave of pain through me, and then I was under water, not bothering to swim to the surface.

* * *

_

I jerked awake and in the process knocked the stack of files I'd placed on the bed to the floor. I was breathing heavily and sweating. I took a moment to calm myself and had finally managed, when loud knocking startled me. It was the same knocking I'd heard in my dream.

"Kaiba, wake up. We have some news!"

Wheeler was yelling outside of my room. With some difficulty, I got out of bed and stumbled to the door. I unlocked it and let him in. I was surprised to see Ryou come in after Wheeler.

"Ryou, I didn't think you'd be here until tomorrow morning," I said.

Wheeler was only wearing boxer shorts, so he'd apparently been roused from his sleep as well. Ryou was wearing slacks and a sweater, so he was probably the reason Wheeler was awake. I looked at my bedside clock and was surprised to see that it was only a bit past three in the morning.

"I had to come and tell you right away," Ryou said.

Wheeler plopped onto my bed without having been invited and I glared at him, but all that got me was a shrug from the blonde. I sat down on the bed beside him and waited for Ryou to say what he had come to say.

"I think we found Yugi."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, I was on my feet and standing in front of him.

"What? Where?" I asked.

"One of our private investigators saw a man that matched Yugi's description in Puebla, Mexico. That's a city southeast of Mexico City, where he was seen last," Ryou explained. "Now, the man that the investigator spotted had some characteristics that matched Yugi, namely build, height, etc., but it's not a complete match. It may not be the right person, but it's the best lead we've had."

I couldn't speak. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it might just make its way out of my chest. Wheeler saved me the trouble by speaking first.

"How long ago was this?" he asked.

"It was a couple of days ago. The man we think is Yugi was spotted at one of Puebla's outdoor markets. The investigator thinks that the man may have a shop there."

"What are we waiting for," I finally said, "let's go."

Ryou and Wheeler both turned to look at me as if I'd gone crazy.

"What do you mean, let's go? You're not going anywhere," Wheeler said as he stood up and came over to me. "You just woke up."

"Like hell I'm not going," I said. "This is Yugi we're talking about. I want to be on my way to Mexico in an hour."

Ryou and Wheeler exchanged a look, before they both turned to me. "You're in no condition to make an overseas flight," Ryou said. "You need to rest and recuperate."

I shook my head in frustration and paced the length of my room. "I've been sleeping for five years," I said. After the dream I just had, I didn't think I'd be going to sleep any time soon, but I didn't say that. "I think I'm ready to do something, especially if it means bringing Yugi home. I'll rest on the fifteen hour flight, how's that?"

Wheeler sighed. "We might as well give up, Ryou. This hard headed bastard isn't going to listen to a word we say."

I whirled on him. "I don't take orders from anyone, especially not you, Wheeler, which reminds me, you're not going."

"What? Of course I'm going," he countered.

"You need to stay here and run the company," I said. "Ryou and I will go."

"Not alone we won't," Ryou said. "We have to be prepared this time. I'll go and prepare a team to take with us."

Without waiting for approval or dismissal, Ryou walked out of the room. Surprised, I turned to Wheeler.

"Don't think that just because you're awake now we're going to start doing whatever you tell us, Kaiba. It doesn't work that way."

I clenched my fists. I didn't want to lose time arguing. "Fine, but as CEO, you have to realize by now that you can't just get up and leave whenever you want to. Your first priority is the company. Let us handle Yugi."

Wheeler opened his mouth to argue, but then snapped it closed. "Yes, of course I can't just leave whenever I want," he finally said. It was as close to an agreement as I was going to get out of him. "Are you sure you're okay to travel?"

"I'm not sure if I'm okay to do anything right now, but you know why I can't stay here while Ryou and who knows how many other people go after Yugi. I got him into this mess and I'm going to get him out."

After a long pause, Wheeler finally nodded. "Be careful, okay?" he said.

"We will be. We'll bring him home, you'll see."

* * *

_Esperanza_ means 'hope' in Spanish.

Next up: Back to Mexico we go! Is it Yugi, or isn't it? Hmm… what do you all think?


	14. To Err is Human

Greetings! Well, today is my last day of spring break and I didn't get nearly as much done as I'd hoped. I did more writing than homework, though… I'm not sure how well that's going to go over when I have my Ethics exam next week.

Reviews:

**Shadowwaker**: There will be no memory loss in this fic! I don't think I could handle doing that again, not when I'm still struggling through No Kinen Ni. Thanks for the review!

**Mimiheart**: Now, now, there's no need to be hunting anyone down… just read the chapter. :o)

**MotherCHOWGoddess**: Come on, I don't have that bad of a character torturer reputation yet, do I? I would be that evil and make Yugi an amnesiac again… once is bad enough for the poor kid. That doesn't mean that there won't be angst though. You know me… I don't think that Mokuba will ever entirely move on. You know those Kaiba brothers, they're pretty close!

I don't think we could pull off a 'Fictional Character Torturers Anonymous' in the traditional sense, but how about a C2 group instead? I can find plenty of fics that would apply!

I checked out "The Egyptologist" on CD from my local library and listened to it during my commute to and from work. I loved it! Thanks so much for recommending it. It was pretty predictable, but it was a very entertaining read nonetheless. I got the unabridged version and it was looong… but I agree, I think Seto needs to get this book for Christmas or his birthday or something… I'll find a way to write it in. Thanks for the review!

**Arasoi**: Welcome to my wacky world! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope that you continue to do so. I have a fetish for guys with long hair, so of course, I had to give Kaiba the same do… I liked the symbolism that you brought up though. Thanks for the review!

**Ashla**: Kaiba is going to have a very hard time understanding what's been going on, but I'm afraid that things are going to get just a bit more complicated.

**Padfootgrl126**: You're right, it would be unbelievably cruel of me to have built it all up and then have it all end in crushing defeat… hmm, that's somewhat appealing. Just kidding… before you decide you're going to throw stuff at me, read the chapter:o)

**Luthien-Defender**: No worries, Yugi is not going to die. I don't want to alienate everyone, for one thing… and of course, I don't want to get beat up either!

**BH**: I'm beginning to get a feeling that you use my stories as avenues for not doing your homework! That's not a good thing :eyes BH wearily: It's cool that you're taking Chinese though. It's a difficult language, I imagine. I'm glad you're enjoying the Kaiba torture. He's always so cool, calm, and collected that it's nice to see him losing it sometimes. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter of Intruders!

**YumeTakato**: thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.

**Saiyan Jedi**: Since the story is mainly told from Kaiba's point of view, it's hard to get Yami in the story. He'll come around again at some point, as will Bakura. Of course you can join our little group. I don't think we can be cured, but at least we'd have fun torturing together!

**Nenya85**: It was really hard trying to make the characters different, and yet still somewhat like what they were. I really wanted Joey to grow to respect Kaiba, because they do have a similar past and I thought it'd be interesting if they could at some point maybe share. Through all of the changes, though, Joey is still fundamentally Joey, but he's at least matured enough to tell it how it is and be straight with Kaiba, even though the honesty did sort of get to Kaiba.

**My Daze**: I'm glad you're happy! I hope you'll be happy with this update as well.

**Katie Torango**: The coma was sort of a surprising jump. It was originally meant to start a chapter, not be in the middle of one, but somewhere along the line I got off and couldn't find anything to fill the chapter enough to let me start the coma with another, so you got them put together. I'm glad the next chapter cleared some of the stuff up, though.

**YO!**: I will update right now! Sorry, that was corny, I know. Read the chapter to find out just who they found. Thanks for reviewing!

Thanks, as always for reviewing. You guys and gals sure know how to make a writer's day.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Part 14: To Err is Human…**

"Don't be surprised if we hit a dead end."

The statement hung between us in the dry, hot air of the city of Puebla, Mexico as we got out of the car a half block from the market where the man that matched Yugi's description had his shop. I turned to Ryou, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking straight ahead, as if he couldn't look at me and dash my hopes, not after everything I'd been though. I had to admit that the concept of Ryou caring enough to spare my feelings was a foreign one, and it immediately caused my defenses to rise. My first instinct was to declare that I didn't need anyone's protection, but I kept my mouth shut. I only had to look at the man walking a few paces in front of me to remind myself that I was not dealing with the soft spoken and shy Ryou Bakura I remembered.

Ryou was wearing a crisp, gray business suit, which only served to accent his white, shoulder length hair. The style of his haircut resembled mine and I immediately knew who had suggested my own hair style. The man had grown a few inches in the last few years and his body had filled in where it was supposed to. He wasn't as tall as I was, but he came rather close to matching my height. While before Ryou had seemed delicate and feminine, he now looked every bit the male he was. The only thing that hadn't changed was his eyes: they were still as wide and kind as ever. Another thing that hadn't changed was the fact that Ryou still wore that Egyptian necklace around his neck. I'd had to ask him about it, since he kept it concealed beneath his dress shirt. Ryou had smiled sheepishly and said that he just hadn't been able to get rid of it, because he'd miss Bakura too much. I'd half expected the homicidal spirit to come out of the ring and rant about the fact that he had been the one who'd chosen to stay with Ryou, but he'd remained inside, much to my relief.

"I mean, we've hit dead ends before," the man said, stopping and finally turning to face me. "We've made dozens of similar trips to this area of Mexico in the past five years and have come up empty every time. This could turn out the same."

"Or we could find Yugi," I said, uncharacteristically optimistic, as I got into step beside Ryou and we both resumed the walk to the market.

"Yes, or that," Ryou replied.

We walked the rest of the way in silence until we came to the edge of the teeming market square. Dozens of people milled around the various shops, most carrying burlap sacks full of fruits, vegetables, and other types of food. They talked and laughed amongst themselves, animated and apparently happy to be up and around. I picked up a few words here and there, but not enough to understand what was being said. Peddlers of many kinds occupied various spots in the center of the square, their wares spread on the floor on top of torn and dirty blankets. Some displayed simple clay pots, some sold hand made jewelry, while others peddled skulls, gruesome miniature statues, or other morbid trinkets, reminiscent of the Mayan and Aztec heritage that these people proudly carried. They smiled and pitched their goods as long as someone was within hearing distance. Barefoot children ran in between the shoppers, and the peddlers, unmindful of the dirt and heat of the market place. Their laughter mingled in with the animated voices of the merchants, giving the market a festive, almost exuberant, feel.

The mood did nothing to uplift my own mood however. My throat was tight and my heart had begun to pound as if I'd just finished running a mile, instead of walking half a block. One of the Mexican men that had met us at the airport, the only one that had accompanied us, walked up to Ryou and handed him a small folder and a photograph of the man we were looking for.

"Here's what we have Mr. Bakura," the man said and handed the folder to the white haired man. "The man we're looking for goes by the name of Rogelio. He sells jewelry with a woman. We weren't able to determine whether the two are just business partners or husband and wife, but we do know that they've been at this market, together, for a few years. I'm not sure if Rogelio is here today, but the woman is. Their shop is right over there," the man said and pointed to a small shop across the market square.

Ryou kept the folder he'd been handed, but gave me the photo. I looked at it and saw the front of the shop the man had just pointed out to us. In front of a wooden counter, leaning down to pick something up off the floor was a slim man. I couldn't see his face, just his profile, and nothing about him reminded me of Yugi. The man's hair was short, cut close to the head, and dark brown. The skin was pale, reddish even, as if it took a great dislike to the heat and the sun. I couldn't seem much of anything else and felt immediately disappointed, despite having been warned to the possibility of not finding anything.

"This is the man we came to find?" I asked and held up the picture.

Ryou turned to me and took a good look at the picture. "Yeah, that's him."

I took back the picture and examined it once more. "This doesn't look like Yugi."

"It's been five years, Kaiba. We've all changed. If it is Yugi, he's been living in a place completely foreign to what he's used to. That would have had an effect on him."

It was an innocent statement, but guilt immediately began to eat away at me once again. The dream I had the last day I'd been at the mansion suddenly came to mind, the one where Yugi had pushed me off the cliff, and I clutched the photograph tighter in my hand until it began to crumple. I had expected to find Yugi as I'd last seen him, even though that had been an unrealistic expectation. I only had to look at myself in the mirror to remember that. Faced with this new reality, however, I wondered if we were even doing the right thing. What if Yugi didn't want to see us? What if he'd stayed away because he'd wanted to, because he hadn't wanted to return to us, to me? No matter how forgiving and kind Yugi was, he also had a reserve of anger, as we all did. What if he was angry at me for what I'd gotten him into and that's why he'd stayed away?

"Are you coming, Kaiba?"

Ryou's question snapped me out of my guilt driven thoughts and I nodded and got into step beside him once again. My skin became colder and clammier with every step we took towards the shop. My heart beat so fast and so loud that I could hear it. I clenched my fists and forced myself to take deep breaths. Ryou must have felt something, because he turned to me and offered a small, reassuring smile. I had been so concentrated on my own feelings that I hadn't been paying attention to Ryou at all. His face was pale and his hands were also clenched into fists. It suddenly hit me that I wasn't the only one who stood to lose in this situation after all.

When we got to the shop, we found it empty. Three wooden counters lined the sides of the small shop, leaving enough room for anyone who came inside to peruse the wares. On top of the counters lay beautifully designed, silver jewelry. Semi precious stones adorned the bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, which were designed in an ornate and unique style typical to central Mexico. There wasn't much of a selection, but what was here was beautiful. I walked to the back of the shop to inspect the jewelry on that counter, while Ryou and our guide talked to someone that had walked into the shop. From the sound of the voice, it was the woman that also owned this shop. I turned to return to the group, but a photograph tacked to the corner of the shop caught my attention. I reached for it and removed it from the beam it had been attached to. It featured a beautiful, dark haired young woman, the woman who was standing just a few feet away from me, and an equally young, dark haired man. The man's features had changed, the hair was shorter and brown and the skin was tanned, but there was no mistaking the beautiful, soul searing violet eyes that stared back at me from the photograph. I gasped, and suddenly found myself at the center of attention. The woman noticed the photograph in my hand and walked up to me.

"Conoce a mi esposo?" she asked. **1**

I frowned and then felt my heart plummet to my feet as I recognized only one of the words she had said.

"Husband?" I repeated.

"She said that she and her husband own this shop," Ryou explained as he, too, walked to me. Silently, I handed him the photograph and watched as the blood drained from his face.

"Oh, my," he whispered, and then turned to the man that had come with us. "Ask her where her husband is."

The Mexican man had apparently caught on to the situation, because he immediately began to speak.

"Señora, donde esta su esposo? Necesitamos hablar con el." **2**

The woman looked from the man to Ryou, before her gaze finally settled on me.

"Que esta pasando? Hay un problema?" **3**

I wanted to shake the Mexican man and demand a translation, but figured I'd do more harm than good if I did that.

"No, solamente queremos hablar con el. Estos dos señores son amigos de su esposo." **4**

The woman glanced at me and Ryou once again, before turning back to the man she'd been speaking with. I walked over to Ryou, who was still staring at the picture.

"I think we found him," I said.

Ryou could only nod, and I could see tears beginning to fill his eyes. I had to remind myself that he and Wheeler had spent a lot more time doing this than I had, and it was understandable for Ryou to be emotional right now.

Further conversation was halted by the Mexican man, who came up to us.

"She said that Rogelio is by the river looking for stones for the jewelry. She told me how to get there, because she can't leave the shop to go with us. She's pretty scared. She thinks that we're going to do something to her husband."

"How long have they been married?" I asked, barely managing to get the question out through my clenched teeth.

"Three years, she said."

I took a deep breath and released it. I felt as if my world had been turned upside down once again, except that this time, I didn't have anyone to hang on to. I left the shop quickly, not going in any particular direction. The peddler's words invaded my ears as I walked across the square, but I tuned them out. A child ran into me, but I simply flung him out of my way. I wanted to get out of this place as soon as I could, before I choked on the dust and on my own emotions. My coat suddenly felt unbearably hot, so I ripped it off and clutched it in my hand. My hair was sticking to my face in sweaty clumps so I ran my hands through it to get it out of the way. My breath came in hard gasps and I could feel my chest already hurting with the effort of breathing.

"Kaiba, wait!"

I heard Ryou's hurried footsteps behind me and I began to walk faster. I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts, alone with my failures, and didn't feel like facing anyone at the moment.

"Damn it, will you stop being so stubborn? You don't know what's going on right now," Ryou continued to yell above the noise of the crowd. "If we go talk to Yugi, I'm sure he'll tell us what's going on."

If only it could be that simple, I thought. Nothing was ever that simple.

I looked around and found myself back where we'd started. I walked to the car and stood against the hood, panting. My hair covered my face, and for once I was glad for the strange length. I could hear Ryou come to a stop beside me, but I couldn't see him through the curtain of my hair.

"I can only imagine how hard this must be, Kaiba, but we found him. He's alive and well. Shouldn't that be the most important thing right now? We can sort everything else out later. I don't know about you, but right now, I just want to see him for myself."

My hands clenched on top of my coat so tight that my knuckles were white. I was tempted to snap at Ryou, tell him that he couldn't possibly understand, but fought the urge. He was right. Yugi was alive, safe, and apparently happy. That was enough, wasn't it? It didn't matter how I felt, because I was five years too late in joining the party. Yugi had made a new life for himself and I had no choice but to respect that now. I brought my breathing back under control and stood up. I faced Ryou, and I'm not sure what he saw on my face because he flinched.

"He's alive and he's safe. That's enough," I said.

I got into the car and Ryou got in beside me. Our guide got into the driver's seat and pulled the car away from the curb.

"I'm going to drive you to the river where she said we could find Rogelio," the guide said. "You can take it from there."

We drove in silence for about fifteen minutes, until we came to a stop on a dirt road a little ways outside of the city. In the distance, I could see nothing but trees. The forest was so dense that we would not be able to see what was beyond it until we got to the other side. I didn't see a river anywhere, but the guide said that it was just beyond the tree line.

"I will wait for you here, if you'd like, Mr. Bakura, Mr. Kaiba. I do not wish to intrude on your reunion with your friend."

Ryou said something to the man, but I wasn't listening anymore. I got out of the car and left my coat on the seat. I now wore only a thin, white, long sleeve shirt, along with navy blue dress pants, but it still felt stifling and unbearably hot. I was tempted to loosen the cuffs of my shirt and roll up the sleeves, but that wouldn't have been very professional. If there was something I had never been accused of, it was being unprofessional. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I needed that cloak to hide behind now more than ever. I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting into, and I knew that my mental state was still severely unbalanced from my coma. Yugi had always been one of the few people, along with my brother, to possess the ability to get to me, and I desperately wanted to avoid that now. Seeing Yugi alive and happy would be enough, even if he'd now made a life with someone else.

"Mario said that we could find most of the stone deposits to the west, and that it'd be about a ten minute walk from here. Are you up for it?" Ryou asked. He had taken off his own suit jacket and now wore only his off-white dress shirt and pants.

"I'm fine, Ryou. You don't have to baby me," I said and began the walk to the west.

My intention was to walk fast and put some distance between Ryou and me, hopefully to drive home the fact that I didn't want to be around him, but I must have been too tired from the trip because Ryou had no trouble keeping up with me. He walked beside me in silence, only now and then glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. We had walked for about five minutes and had cleared the tree line to find a spectacular river flowing in front of us, when Ryou finally broke the silence.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I refused to acknowledge the question, so I continued to walk as close to the river as I could. I let the blue water soothe what it could of my raging emotions while desperately trying not to panic at the prospect of finally coming face to face with Yugi.

"I know that you care about Yugi, you might even love him, and so this has got to be hard for you."

I stopped then and whirled on Ryou so fast that he stumbled in his attempt to get away from me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and brought his face up so that it almost touched mine.

"Don't you dare make assumptions," I growled, unexpected rage coursing through my veins. I released him and watched a somewhat bemused expression cross his face. Fear or anger I would have expected, even welcomed, but amusement did not sit well with me.

"From what I remember, you had a thing for him too," I said, eager to land a blow as powerful as the one he'd managed to land. "Don't pretend around me, Ryou, I know how you feel."

The bemusement fell away to be replaced by the anger I had been expecting. His eyes flashed and for a moment, I thought Bakura had come out to defend his partner.

"You sure are confident that you know everything, despite the fact that you've spent the last five years asleep, letting the rest of us do your work for you," Ryou said. He then winced, as if he'd only just realized what he'd said. He sighed. "Look, you're obviously going to be irrational and hard headed enough for the both of us, so I'm going to reign in my temper for the time being. We can continue this some other time, if you wish."

With that, Ryou picked up the pace and left me standing by the edge of the river, staring at his retreating back. I clenched my jaw and cursed myself for my inability to function as I had before. Why couldn't I feel that confidence and arrogance again? I couldn't even use my anger effectively anymore, if Ryou's reaction to it was any indication. What the hell was I supposed to do? I started to walk once again, but kept my attention on the river. I was halted in my tracks when I ran into a very solid and very still Ryou Bakura.

"What's the…" I started to say, but shut up when I saw what Ryou was pointing at.

About fifteen feet in front of us, by the edge of the river, stood the man I'd seen in the photograph. He was carrying a small, straw bucket and poking at the soft sand beside the river with his bare feet. He apparently found what he was looking for, because he kneeled, picked something out of the sand and put it in the bucket. He tested the weight of the bucket and sighed.

"That should be enough," he said, and we were close enough to hear the voice, and the language he'd spoken, to know without a shadow of a doubt that we'd found our man.

"Rogelio," Ryou said in a raised voice to draw the man's attention.

The man looked up, a ready smile on his face. The smile dropped, however, when he realized who he was looking at. His eyes widened, and the bucket slipped from his fingers, spilling turquoise, orange, green, and purple stones onto the sand.

"Maybe I should call you Yugi instead," Ryou said.

Yugi didn't move. He stared at us as if we were suddenly the only things in the world. His gaze, which had been focused on Ryou, shifted over to me, and his eyes grew even wider than they had before. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He blinked at me, attempted to say something again, and then he took off running.

"Yugi, wait!" Ryou called out.

I took off running after him, tripping as my dress shoes slipped on the sand and the unfamiliar terrain, before I managed to regain my balance. I could hear Ryou running behind me, but I didn't want to take the time to turn and look. I kept my eyes on Yugi's retreating back, while at the same time cursing my weak and out of shape body. I willed my legs to move faster, even as my chest felt like it was about to burst. When I thought I was close enough to Yugi, I lunged and wrapped my arms around his waist, effectively bringing us both down to the ground. I was panting hard, desperately trying to take in oxygen. Yugi didn't seem to even be out of breath, and he fought hard to break my grip. I was still taller, however, so I used that to my advantage and managed to flip him onto his back and pin him to the sand, forcing him to look at me. His violet eyes were wide and I could already see the tears that were gathering there. Before I knew what was happening, there was a flash of light and I was flying backwards. I landed hard on my back, and what little breath I'd managed to draw was violently shoved out of my lungs. I lay there, wheezing, hoping that I hadn't broken a rib in the fall.

"Yugi, stop, we don't want to hurt you. We just came to talk to you."

Ryou's voice broke with emotion, but I didn't hear any more hurried footsteps. I pulled myself onto my side and concentrated on breathing and fighting off unconsciousness, trusting Ryou to keep Yugi from running away again.

"You should not have come."

I knew that voice as well, and I didn't have to look up to see that Ryou was now talking to Yami.

"Why not? Yami, why didn't you come back? Why did you stay here?"

Yami didn't immediately reply. He turned and looked at me with such contempt that it took my breath away. I got to my knees and then slowly to my feet, still fighting off the wave of unconsciousness that wouldn't leave me alone.

"It took Yugi years to come to terms with everything that happened that day, and everything that led up to it. He was finally happy, making a new life for himself, and then you show up to ruin everything."

I frowned at those words, and then my anger, the same one I'd directed at Ryou earlier, flared up again like a brush fire.

"You knew," I whispered, taking slow, tentative steps towards him. "You son of a bitch, you knew about what happened and kept Yugi in the dark about everything. What did you tell him to convince him to abandon his friends, his country, and stay here?"

Yami's anger flared, and I could feel it prickling at my skin like hot ash.

"You left him behind, Kaiba, that is what I know. You can not begin to imagine under what conditions he was forced to live after you escaped, and how he barely managed to keep his sanity through it all. He was sure you'd come back for him. Ironically enough, that is what kept him going. He had faith in you. He gave you the chance to escape so that you would come back for him, and yet you did not return. You and his so called friends in Japan, all left him behind. Can you imagine what that was like for him?"

I was stunned into silence, and was grateful when Ryou spoke up.

"We would never do that, Yami, you should have known that. We looked and looked and couldn't find him. We would never abandon Yugi! We've spent that last five years desperately looking for him."

Yami turned away from Ryou and walked closer to me. "What about you, Kaiba, what is your excuse?"

I found myself still speechless. My heart split in two just imagining the disappointment and betrayal Yugi must have felt when I never showed up to take him home. He had given me the chance to escape… he had saved my life that day, and what had I repaid him with but abandonment and heartbreak. No wonder he'd chosen to make a life with someone else, someone that wasn't me. When I didn't reply, Ryou answered for me.

"We found Kaiba at the base of that pyramid half dead," Ryou said. "We looked for Yugi too, but we never found him. We took Kaiba to a hospital where he was treated. During the months Kaiba spent in the hospital in Mexico City, Joey and I looked for Yugi, but didn't find him. When Kaiba had been treated to the best of the doctor's ability, we took him home. He never woke up Yami. For the past five years, Kaiba has been in a coma. He didn't come back for Yugi because he was unable to. He woke up about a week ago, and the first thing on his mind was Yugi."

Now it was Yami's turn to lose the ability to speak. He looked at me and his eyes softened just a little bit. He opened his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it.

"It's my fault, I know that," I said. "I can't imagine what it was like for Yugi, or for you, but for what it's worth, I am sorry."

I didn't know what else to say. I would have come back if I'd been able to. I hadn't chosen to spend five years asleep and blissfully unaware of what was going on around me. Still, I didn't hesitate to place the blame where it belonged: strictly on my shoulders.

"We need to talk," Ryou said.

There was a long pause, and then Yami spoke. "Yes, I believe that we do need to talk."

"Come with us, then," Ryou said. "Let's go back to our hotel so we can talk."

"We have to go by the market and pick up Marina," Yami said.

That got my attention. The anger rose again and I couldn't entirely keep it out of my voice as I spoke.

"Marina? Is that your wife?"

Yami turned to me, and I could have sworn I saw guilt in his eyes.

"Yes, she's my wife."

* * *

See? There were no tricks and no deaths… I was being nice for once. Well, if you don't count all of the angst, that is.

**Next up**: another intermission. Yugi (and Yami) gets another chapter to himself.

**Translations:**

**1: **Do you know my husband?

**2: **Ma'am, where is your husband? We need to talk to him.

**3: **What's happening? Is there a problem?

**4: **No, we just want to talk to him. These two gentlemen are your husband's friends.


	15. Interlude: To Forgive is Devine

Greetings! Here is the promised chapter. It took me about a week to write it, sneaking in bits and pieces between school and work. It's also longer than the rest of them… I think I'm going to keep all future chapters at about the same length. I've learned that I can tell a lot more of the story in 20 pages than I can in 10, and it also gives you all more to read after the long wait. I hope that you all enjoy reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A tidbit about this chapter (and it's only interesting because it shows the current state of my mind): I had written half of it before I realized that I was supposed to be writing it in first person. I was so annoyed at myself that I considered leaving it in the third person and posting anyway. Then logic got the better of me and I went back and rewrote it. I hope I didn't miss anything in my mad dash to change all the 'he's to 'I's. I apologize ahead of time if I missed any of them.

Reviews:

**Arasoi**: I'm glad to hear that this is your favorite story. I hope that you continue to enjoy it, and thanks for the kind words.

**LuthienDefender**: I generally enjoy making Yugi go through a lot of things… I guess that says something about me, doesn't it? looks around for the men in the white coats Ryou's feelings are conflicted. I swear I'm going to have to give the boy his own chapter at some point just so he can get them out.

Thanks for reading!

**Padfootgrl126**: Nothing happens as my characters expect… the poor things. I should give them a break once in a while. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**Mimiheart: **Wow, that really is weird: Marinah and Marina. You have a point, though. Yami and Yugi can hardly blame Kaiba for being in a coma, though I'm sure Yami will still try.

**MsHobgoblin**: Reunions are fun… but they are even more fun when they don't go as expected. Don't worry, things will be a bit better at the end of this chapter.

**JadedKatrina:** Thank you very much for your kind words. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story. You pose some very interesting questions. I have a feeling that this chapter will answer some of them for ya! Enjoy!

**Seers-of-a-lost-paradise:** Aww… you're so sweet. Thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry that No Kinen Ni has got you in suspense. I'm trying to find a way to bring that to a close without rushing it too much so I hope to be able to update that soon. Thanks for the review, and I hope that you enjoy the chapter.

**S.K. Hashmi: **Kaiba is going to have a lot of things to think over, but so will Yugi. I think this chapter will give them a chance to do that. I hope that it works out that way, at least. Yes, you should type the stuff you write in your notebook, if only to keep it in a safe place, in case the notebook gets lost :o).

**YumeTakato: **Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**MotherCHOWGoddess: **I just remembered that you sent me a notice that you'd updated your story. I totally forgot to go check it out. Sorry about that! You don't want to hit Yami… he means no harm. He just wants to protect Yugi, even if Kaiba suffers for it. Thanks for the review!

**Shadowwaker: **I've never been to Mexico City or Puebla, but they have a lot of open markets in Monterrey (the city where I'm from. Its two hours south of the U.S. – Mexico border) so that's what I based the description on. I'm glad that it worked and that you could picture it. Thanks for the review!

**Dark Hikari Twilight: **The wife thing was left deliberately unclear to make you all wonder… yeah, I know, that's evil. It'll get cleared up in this chapter. Thanks for the review!

**Ashla: **'Up to their ears' is a very good way to describe what the characters are up to! Hopefully it'll get better for them at some point.

**Kibethan: **Read on and find out… the chapter will give some explanations. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**Nenya85: **I hate to admit it, but the chapter was sort of engineered to make you all go 'what the hell?' I know, that was bad of me… It took a long time to decide just how much Yugi would have moved on. He would have had to, because five years did go by and unlike Kaiba, he was awake and aware, but I also wanted him to have retained a bit of his own life, his own person, despite the changes. I have no doubt that this chapter will also raise a lot of questions, but I think that it will answer more questions as well. I hope it will, at least. Thanks for reviewing!

**Katie Torango: **Yami is still trying to protect Yugi. I think that's an instinct that he'll always have. But you're right, he's not entirely heartless…

**Kilah-sama: **Kaiba and Yugi are pretty cute together, aren't they? I couldn't resist them either, which is why I'm writing this story. I'm sorry that I made you cry… It wasn't my intention. No, you're not a wuss… believe me, there's nothing wrong with getting emotional. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thank you for your review.

**_Summary of last chapter_**: Kaiba and Bakura finally find Yugi, only to be told by Yami that he's married to a woman named Marina.

* * *

**Part 15: Interlude - … To Forgive is Devine**

_Yugi's POV_

_Empty spaces fill me up with holes  
Distant faces with no place left to go  
Without you within me I can't find no rest  
Where I'm going is anybody's guess_

"I'm such a coward," I told myself, not for the first time. "You'd think that after the last five years, facing two young men from my past wouldn't faze me, but here I am, hiding like a little girl."

I peered over the edge of the staircase in Yami's soul room where I had plopped down after Yami had taken over my body. It was a particularly high one, and I might have been tempted to take the leap if I was certain that the fall would kill me. Then again, dying really wasn't an option anymore. Hell would not be any better than the hell I was living in now. I leaned over the edge until only a small part of my behind was still in contact with the hard stone. The adrenaline rush that motion brought me momentarily took my mind off of what had brought me into Yami's soul room in the first place, until my surroundings changed and I was looking down a narrow set of stairs on the face of a pyramid instead of the soul room. I jerked back, gasping loudly at the sudden change. I shook my head and my surroundings changed back to the familiar soul room. I looked around at the reassuring images of endless staircases and doors that had become very familiar to me in the last five years and regained some of my calmness.

My own soul room had changed to reflect the man I had become, and I didn't like what it now represented, so I'd chosen to share Yami's room instead. This room was familiar, constant, and reassuring. Yami's room hadn't changed much in the last five years, even though Yami himself had. I found that comforting, which is why this room had become my new refuge.

It hadn't always been like this, however. Yami had been lost to me for a long time, from the moment I'd been kidnapped until long into my stay with the revolutionaries that hadn't let me die after Kaiba and I had tried to escape. My desperation and panic when I was kidnapped had inadvertently locked him in his soul room, and it had taken me two years to realize what I'd done and how to undo it. Yami had not entirely been himself when I'd managed to unlock the soul room, and it had taken him years to tell me what it had been like in there for him, just as if had taken me years to tell him what had happened in the two years he wasn't in my life. We couldn't undo the time we lost, but we could still take advantage of the time we have together now.

I sometimes wonder if my life would have turned out differently if Yami had been able to help me back then, but the truth is that it doesn't matter now. My life is what it is, and I can't change it anymore. Yami is with me now; he saved me from losing myself entirely to those people, and I will always be very grateful for that.

"Why did I run?" I asked myself, getting back to my original dilemma. "Kaiba is not a threat to me and I doubt that he'd finally come all this way to hurt me. Besides, he can't hurt me any worse than he already has."

That thought brought long forgotten tears to my eyes. I still didn't understand why he'd never come for me, but I'd told myself long ago that it didn't matter. I got involved with him knowing his personality, knowing what he was about, or thinking that I knew, and I'd taken the risk anyway. I had paid for it dearly since then.

"Why did I run, then? If he means nothing to me, why did I run?"

"Yes, why did you?"

Startled, I looked up to find that Yami had materialized beside me. The spirit's face was set in a frown, which told me that whatever was going on outside of the puzzle was not going particularly well. I wasn't very surprised at that.

"All you have to do is look into my thoughts to find the answer, Yami."

Yami's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I could do that, but I believe that it would better serve you if you said it out loud."

"Since when did you become an expert in Psychology?" I asked.

Yami shrugged. "I have had a lot of free time to pursue other things in the past few years. What I have read about Psychology has helped me keep you sane."

"Isn't that the truth," I remarked, "though I'm not entirely convinced that I'm still sane."

Whatever amusement had been present suddenly vanished, leaving us both once again wrapped up in the nightmare that our life had become. Yami's stare never wavered from me, and I finally relented.

"I never expected to see him again," I finally admitted. "I had completely blocked him out of my memories. I didn't know how to react."

"You panicked," Yami stated. "That is why I took over. As soon as I felt your emotions, I thought you were in danger. I was as surprised as you were to find myself face to face with Seto Kaiba once again." Yami paused for a moment and looked away from me. He seemed to be pondering something, because his facial expression tightened and changed from concern to anger. When he looked at me again, his jaw was tight and his eyes shone with anger. "Is it wise to continue with this association, Yugi? We can simply leave them and let them go back to Japan. I don't want to see you hurt that way again."

Forgetting Seto Kaiba had been incredibly hard, but I had finally managed to get over the pain, the betrayal, and disappointment. I didn't want to go through that again, so the idea of telling them to go to hell did appeal to me. However, the prospect of being around people from back home made my heart ache, because it reminded me of who I had been, of who I wish I could be again. I'd given up hope of ever going back home the moment I'd given in and done what the revolutionaries that had killed my grandfather had demanded of me. Now that the prospect of home was very real again, I found myself unable to walk away.

"I want to go home, Yami. I've always wanted to; it has just never been possible," I finally said.

"You do realize that is not possible, not without alerting Kaiba and Ryou about what we have done here. What do you think they will say to that?"

At that moment, I hated Yami for reminding me of what I had become. The hatred left me speechless and I had to turn away. He was right, of course, which was what made it hurt all the more.

"We are not who we used to be, Yugi," Yami said when I didn't answer the question he'd posed. "We have done things that they will not approve of, things that separate us from them."

"I did what I had to do to survive," I said quickly, defensive despite my efforts not to be. "Do you think I enjoyed what I did? You know I didn't!"

Yami put a hand on my shoulder, which immediately diffused my anger. He'd become very good at that over the years as well, as my anger had become more volatile and destructive. If I'd been left to my own devices, who knows how much more damage I would have caused.

"I know that, Yugi. I am aware that you did not enjoy what we had to do any more than I did. We were here, however. We are aware of the circumstances behind our actions. We know why we are wanted criminals. Do you think Bakura and Kaiba will understand when we tell them that if we step one foot in an airport it is likely that we will be arrested and prosecuted for murder?"

Again, I couldn't refute the logic. My current situation as a wanted man was one of the reasons I'd run from Kaiba instead of running to him. I hadn't wanted to give Kaiba a chance to read me and to see through to the horrible person I'd become. A part of me, the part that hoped Kaiba still loved me, wanted him to remember me as I was when he'd last seen me, not as I am now.

"Ryou has a lot of questions," Yami suddenly said. "Do you want me to keep talking to him?"

"I don't know. I'm going to have to appear sooner or later," I replied. "Where are we?"

"We are on the way to the market to pick up Marina."

Another wave of guilt crashed down on me at the thought of Marina. She was yet another reason why I couldn't let myself become too attached to either Ryou or Kaiba. They had to leave, go back home, before everything exploded around us once again.

"I told Kaiba that she was our wife."

I nodded in approval. "To everyone else, she is," I stated. "She needs our protection as much as we need hers, and playing husband and wife works for all of us."

"Are you going to tell Kaiba the truth?" Yami asked.

"No. For his sake, I can't afford to."

Yami nodded his agreement. "Well, Ryou wants to talk to one of us, so if you are going to go, it might as well be now."

I took a deep breath and then slowly released it. Feeling as if I was on the way to my own execution, I closed my eyes and willed my soul back into my body. When I opened my eyes, I found Ryou staring intently at me.

"Yugi, is that you?"

I nodded, surprised by the happy look on his face. He seemed to war with himself for a moment, before he gave in and gave me a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, and I couldn't help but do the same thing.

"I really missed you, Yugi. You have no idea how much," he whispered in my ear. "We've been trying to find you for so long," he said and released me. "I'm glad we finally found you."

I sat back and took a look around. I was sitting on the back seat of a car I didn't recognize, behind the passenger seat. Ryou sat beside me, while Kaiba sat behind the driver. He didn't turn to look at me. Instead, he was looking out of the window. I took a moment then to examine them both. I couldn't see Kaiba's face, but I did notice the longer hair. At the same time, I noticed Ryou's much shorter hair. Ryou had gotten taller and had filled out in all the right places. He looked like a professional and I wondered how much his life had changed.

"What do you do, Ryou?" I asked, curious despite the fact that I wasn't supposed to get involved.

"I'm a lawyer," he said.

"Wow," I replied, surprised. "That's an interesting career choice. Who do you work for?"

Ryou's smile faltered a bit, but did not diminish. "I work for Kaiba Corporation," Ryou said.

The conversation faltered then and we were all left in an uncomfortable silence. We rode like that for a few moments, until Ryou attempted conversation again.

"I guess we all look a bit different, don't we?" Ryou finally said. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," I said. "We've done what we've needed to, I guess."

The bitterness in my voice was thick, and I hated myself for that. My situation wasn't Ryou's fault; it wasn't Kaiba's fault either, though Yami was more than happy to assign the blame to him whenever possible. I had made my own choices, and I would live with those until the day I died.

"You're not going to talk to me, Kaiba?" I asked. "It's been a while."

_I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

Kaiba's back stiffened, and Ryou's face lost a bit of its contentment. I thought Kaiba was going to ignore me, but then he turned around and pierced me with one of his trademark glares. I returned it in full force, which caught him off guard. He lost the façade for a moment, before the mask fell into place again. He looked much the same as he had before, with the exception of his hair and the scars that now marred his face. It figured that out of anyone, Kaiba would be the one to remain the same.

"Actually, it hasn't been a while for me," he stated in that condescending voice he sometimes used to scare his employees, which immediately made me angry. I'm not sure what I expected when I finally talked to him, but being treated like something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe wasn't it.

"Oh, really," I said, my voice icy. I'd learned to play the same game he'd become so good at over the years. After all, a guy as short as me had to have other methods of intimidation. I'd become very good at using my words to achieve what I wanted, and to wound when I wanted them to. "I guess work kept you busy. You do tend to lose yourself in it until everything else disappears."

I'm not sure what exactly it was that I said, but Kaiba physically recoiled from my words. Ryou's face lost its color, and I was left to wonder what button I'd just pushed. Kaiba was trying to recover, but couldn't find the words to reply. That alone alerted me that something was horribly wrong with what I'd said. I'd never known Kaiba to be left speechless. The part of me that still cared for Kaiba felt guilty at having caused him pain. The other part, however, the one that resented him for never coming back for me was glad that I was making him feel the same thing I'd felt all those years.

"I spent the last five years in a coma," Kaiba finally said through clenched teeth. "It was the effect of the bullet to the head," he said and pointed at the scar by his temple. "You don't really think that if I'd been able to come after you, I would have stayed away, do you?"

I didn't know what to say. My throat constricted to the point that even if I'd wanted to say something, I wouldn't have been able to. A coma… that explained so much. I thought that he'd abandoned me, moved on without me, but that hadn't been the case at all. He hadn't been able to come for me. The hope I'd long ago buried inside my heart started to surface, but I shoved it back in. I couldn't afford to lose my resolve. I looked at him closely and saw the sincerity in his eyes.

"I still left you behind, Yugi, and for that I am sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I did come as soon as I was able to."

"We have looked for you as well," Ryou added. "Joey and I had every private investigator we could think of looking for you. We never found a thing, until now."

I closed my eyes, feeling the abyss that had been ready to swallow me time and time again rear its ugly head once again. I hadn't wanted to be found. I couldn't afford to be found, because that would have meant my death by very painful means if I'd been found by the revolutionaries, or a long jail sentence if I'd been found by the government. I'd used every single trick I'd picked up to conceal myself, which had kept me alive, but had also kept my friends from finding me. The fact that they'd found me at all meant that they'd had very good resources available. I had to give them credit for that.

"I didn't know, Kaiba," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for what I said."

He shrugged, and I could see the mask, which had come partially off as he'd talked to me, fall fully into place again. I'd hurt him deeply with my comment, I could tell that from the way he was distancing himself from his surroundings. I wanted to take them back, but it was too late.

"We're here, Sirs," the driver said, interrupting my train of thought.

I looked out the window and saw that we'd come to a stop beside the market. I looked at Ryou and then at Kaiba, wondering what was going on.

"Yami said that we needed to come and pick up your wife," Ryou said.

I saw Kaiba flinch at the mention of Marina, and the guilt I already felt grew. He turned away again, to look out of the window. I could see that his shoulders were tense, even through the material of his shirt. I couldn't do this to him. He didn't deserve it, not after everything... I sighed and opened the door to the car. There was no other way.

"I'll be right back," I said and headed for the small store Marina and I ran.

_Voices tell me I should carry on  
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone  
Baby, my baby  
It's written on your face  
You still wonder if we made a big mistake_

Marina was closing up the shop when I found her. She gave me a radiant, beautiful smile as soon as she noticed me standing in the door way. She came up to me and hugged me, while asking me if I was okay, and that some men had come looking for me.

"I'm sorry for telling them where you were," she said in her native language, her voice clipped and full of worry. "They were foreigners and looked to be from your country. They said they were your friends, so I thought it was okay."

I smiled and put a hand on her cheek. "It's okay, Marina. They are my friends, and I was very glad to see them. They do present some problems, though."

Marina's face turned serious and she crossed her arms over her chest. "They don't know about anything, do they?"

"No," I reassured her, "they don't know. Don't worry; I don't plan on telling them anything."

Marina had been with the revolutionaries at the same time I had been with them. She had taken care of me while I'd been recovering from the injuries I sustained while escaping from the pyramid. When I'd first seen her, I had thought that she was a revolutionary herself. It wasn't until much later that I'd realized she was a prisoner just like I was. They'd used us both, but for different reasons: she'd been used for sex, while I'd been used to murder people. In the end, we'd escaped together and then decided to remain together. We raised less suspicion if we pretended to be a happily married couple than if we'd tried to make it on our own. The truth was that we were not a couple. After her experiences with the revolutionaries, Marina had no interest in that kind of a relationship with a man. In my case, my heart had already been given to someone else. We did care about each other, however, and had sworn to protect each other when necessary. Yami had agreed that it was beneficial for us to stay together, even though we'd have to hide Yami's existence from her. It had worked out for the most part, and we'd been free for the last three years.

"What are you going to do?"

I sighed. I really didn't know the answer to that question. I picked up a bag and helped her pack up the rest of the items, hoping that the delay would give me time to come up with something. What did I want to do? Knowing why Kaiba hadn't come back for me had thrown me, and my previous plan to drive them away suddenly didn't seem like a good idea anymore.

"I need to talk to them. I came by to pick you up so that you could come with us. I'm not sure what I'm going to tell them yet."

Marina locked eyes with me, and I could see the myriad of thoughts crossing through their depths.

"You have always wanted to go home, Yugi. Here is your chance to do so," she said.

Her face reflected the sadness and fear that she was feeling. I went to her and took both of her hands.

"If I do decide to go home, you're coming with me. I promise, Marina. I couldn't leave you here, not knowing what I do. Would you come?"

Marina was surprised at the question. "Leaving the country would be difficult, especially if you take me. You will blend in, but I will not."

I smiled, and it felt real for the first time in years. "My friends can handle it, of that I'm sure. Would you come?"

She smiled. "Of course I would. It'd be nice to start over somewhere else."

"Japan is very nice. I think you'd like it there."

Marina suddenly stepped closer and wrapped her arms around me. "You are my savior, you know. Thank you."

I wrapped my arms around her as well and enjoyed the closeness and safety that she had been giving me for the past five years. "It won't be easy to tell them, especially about what I did," I said.

"You didn't have a choice," she said. "They threatened you and forced you to do what they asked. They had already killed your grandfather, so you knew they were serious. I don't think your friends will blame you."

"I'm still a murderer, Marina. I carry a lot of blood on my hands," I said. "I'm not sure if my friendship with them is strong enough to accept that."

Marina unwound her arms from around me and kissed me on the cheek. "There is only one way to find out," she said.

The clearing of a throat drew my attention to the open end of the shop, and I was surprised to find Kaiba standing there, his arms stiff at his sides, avoiding looking at either of us. I panicked, until I realized that Kaiba spoke very little Spanish and that if he'd overheard us, he wouldn't have been able to understand much.

"We need to get going, Yugi," Kaiba said, much too stiffly. "I'll be in the car."

I stared at his retreating back, my arms still around Marina's waist.

"Is he the one?" Marina asked.

"What?" I asked, while still staring at where Kaiba had been standing.

"Is he the one you told me about, the one you wanted to save at Teotihuacán? The one you love, but left you behind?"

I sighed and released Marina. "I just found out that as a result from the injuries he received at Teotihuacán, he's been in a coma for the last five years," I told her. "All this time, I thought he'd abandoned me, but it turned out that he wasn't able to come."

"So he didn't abandon you? He came as soon as he could?" Marina said, her eyes shinning. "He still loves you?"

My stomach churned. "I really don't know, Marina. I'm afraid to consider the possibility."

Marina smiled again. "Love is strong, Yugi. Have faith."

_I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

The uncomfortable silence in the car now was a lot more overbearing than it had been on the ride to the market. Kaiba had chosen to sit in the front seat with the driver, this time, leaving me, Marina, and Ryou in the back. I had a feeling that something had gone on between Kaiba and Ryou while I'd been gone, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. The atmosphere, which had been tense to begin with, was even tenser now. I was tempted to crack a joke just to see the reaction that would get, but I refrained. Somehow, I got the feeling that a joke would not be welcome.

I had been so enthralled in my own thoughts that I'd failed to notice that we had entered the downtown area of the city and had arrived at one of the fancy hotels. I cursed myself for my inattention. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings and should never have let them get me this deep into the city. Of course Kaiba would choose to stay at the best, most exclusive hotel in the city, which was not good news to me.

The car stopped and the driver immediately got out to open the door for us. Before the man had even touched the door on my side, I spoke up.

"I'm not getting out."

Ryou turned to me, frowning. "Why not? We agreed to talk, didn't we?"

I hadn't agreed to any such thing. Yami had been the one to agree, and he had neglected to tell me where we'd agreed to talk. I was going to have to ask him later why he had agreed to sit and chat with our old friends. It wasn't like Yami, especially since he still blamed Kaiba for what happened to me, to us. I don't remember if Yami had told me where we were going, but it didn't matter. I was not going into that hotel and neither was Marina. There were simply too many people around to notice us; too many security cameras to record our image; too many police and security officers around for my comfort. I was probably going to make a scene with my denial to enter the hotel, but my safety, and Marina's, came first.

"We need to go someplace smaller, more out of the way," I told Ryou, hoping that he would understand. "While we're at it, we need to ditch the driver. I can take you where you need to go."

Kaiba, who had already gotten out of the car, poked his head back in and glared at us for slowing him down. "Is there a problem?"

I turned to him. I ached to be able to confide in him, to ask for his help, but I knew that as soon as I opened my mouth and told him the truth, he'd turn away from me again.

"We're not going into the hotel," I stated, hoping that my voice sounded every bit as commanding and forceful as Kaiba's own voice could sound. "We need to go somewhere else."

His eyes narrowed and he pierced me with a gaze so intense that I thought that he'd be able to see right into me and decipher everything I was keeping from them. Instead, he turned away.

"If that's how you want it, then fine, but we're not going anywhere else. You can come in or you can go home."

The rage that flowed through me at that statement was so strong that I almost got out of the car and hit him. He stood by the curb with his back to the car, but he didn't go into the hotel. It was as if he were waiting for me to give in, to beg him to consider my point and let me have my way. Hell, no. I was way past the point of begging anyone to do anything for me. I had enough of that when I spent years begging the revolutionaries to either let me go or to kill me.

I did get out of the car, but it wasn't on Kaiba's side. I pushed Ryou away from the door, and got in on the driver's side, where the keys had been left in the ignition. The driver made a move to stop me, but Ryou waved him off.

"Fine, have it your way," I said to Kaiba's back. "Just remember that you came looking for me, not the other way around."

I put the car in gear, but before I took off, I turned to Ryou. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

"The car will be at the market where you found me, Ryou. Have someone come pick it up after dark."

With those parting words, I floored it and took off down the busy, traffic jammed streets of Puebla. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it felt as if it were hammering to break through my rib cage. My hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel and I had to force myself to release them before the fingers cramped. I released the breath I hadn't been aware I was holding and took another and then another. I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Marina looking at me with concern.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," I said. "I'll drop you off at the house and then go drop off the car at the market. I'll walk back home."

"He wanted you to confide in him," Marina said.

"No he didn't," I snapped back, "he wanted to get his way. It's a game to him, Marina. It always has been."

Thankfully, Marina didn't reply.

I rushed through the streets of downtown Puebla, eager to get back out into the outskirts, where I felt more familiar. I drove recklessly, speeding and changing form lane to lane at will, regardless of who I was getting in the way of. I should have been a bit more alert for the police, but at that moment, all I wanted was to drown out the shattering of the last piece of hope in my heart with the adrenaline rush that near death brought me. When I looked back at Marina and noticed that she was holding on for dear life, I slowed the pace of the car and began to pay more attention to the road. Before long, we were outside the modest home we shared.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Marina asked.

I smiled, even though I didn't feel it. "I'll be fine. I'll drop off the car and come back. Don't worry."

She nodded, but I could tell that she wasn't very convinced. After one last look at me, she waved and walked into the house. I sat in the running car for a while and watched as the lights went on inside the place. It was a small, one story, cement house that we'd purchased under assumed names a year ago. It wasn't much, but it provided shelter and a place to feel safe, if only for a small while.

I was such a fool. I had resigned myself to the life I led and had been content; as much as I could be, at least. Why did he have to come back into my life and give me a glimpse of the life I could have had if things had turned out differently that day in Teotihuacán? Kaiba hadn't done anything but be himself, so why did it feel like he'd broken my heart again? I had wrapped myself in a shell of indifference in order to survive, but all he had to do was show up and all of my defenses came crumbling down like a house of cards. What kind of a person did that make me? I sighed. I had no one to blame for my weaknesses but myself.

One of the curtains at one of the windows of the house was drawn and Marina waved at me. I waved back and then went on my way.

_I don't mean to drag it on, but I can't seem to let you go  
I don't wanna make you face this world alone  
I wanna let you go (alone)_

A few moments later, I felt Yami's presence before I saw the spirit materialize on the passenger seat.

"If you say 'I told you so' I'll crash the car into the nearest telephone pole," I said before Yami even had a chance to speak. The spirit remained quiet, which only made me that much more irritable. I kept my mouth shut, though, and waited for Yami to say whatever he had to say.

"What makes you think I was going to say that?" Yami asked, his voice as quiet and as calm as the Egyptian desert must have been back when he'd been pharaoh.

"Gee, I don't know, maybe the fact that you've never liked Kaiba," I replied.

"I never said I did not like him, Yugi. That was your assumption. I only said that I did not want you to get hurt again," the spirit replied in that soft, rich voice that had soothed my nightmares away on too many occasions to keep track of. "From what I heard and felt from you, you are hurting all over again."

I clenched my jaw to keep the stubborn tears in my eyes from falling. I wasn't a child anymore, and I couldn't believe that seeing Kaiba and Ryou again had reduced me to that sixteen year old kid I'd been when I had been taken from Japan. With that feeling came the helplessness and despair those years had brought me, and I wanted nothing more than to shove them all away into that black hole I'd created in my soul room. It partly worked. The tears went away and I no longer felt like I was going to lose my sanity all over again.

"If you felt my feelings, then you must know that I considered telling Kaiba the truth and asking him for help in going back to Japan," I said, my voice steadier and calmer than I felt.

"I did not know the though precisely, but I suspected as much," Yami replied after a short silence. I kept my eyes on the darkening road ahead of me, afraid of what I would see in his eyes if I looked. "It is not an unexpected reaction, Yugi."

I sighed. Only Yami could take a big moment of weakness on my part and call it 'not an unexpected reaction'. Gambling with my life gambled with Yami's existence as well. If I was caught and sent to prison, the puzzle would more than likely be taken from me and destroyed, therefore sealing Yami away for another couple of millennia until someone else found it and pieced it together. I had no doubt that he wouldn't prefer that particular scenario, and yet here he was, telling me that it was okay for me to have thought of risking the both of us, not to mention Marina, for, what, a chance at a reconciliation with Kaiba? An opportunity to go home?

"Yugi, you are only human," Yami said. "I do not blame you for your feelings towards Kaiba, regardless of what my opinion of him and his actions is. However, I do worry that you will not confide in me about this. Whatever you have to tell me, I will understand. At the very least, I will listen."

The offer was tempting, but I wasn't going to take Yami up on it. I didn't want to discuss this any further. I didn't even want to think about it. I had made my own decision, shaped my life into what it was now, and I was mature enough to take responsibility for what I had done, what I had forced Yami to do and to settle for. That burden would be on my shoulders for the rest of my life, regardless of where I ended up.

"I'm sorry Yami," I said, and put up the wall between us that would keep him out of my mind and my thoughts.

I felt his presence leave my side and felt emptier without it. I saw the market up ahead and quickly parked the car where it had been when we'd come to pick up Marina. Ryou was sure to find it in this location. The market was empty now, as it was every night. By dawn tomorrow, the place would be crowded with people trying to earn a living, but for now, it was the perfect place to reflect on long forgotten feelings.

* * *

_I've tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete_

"_Go, Kaiba."_

_Two words had never taken as much out of me to say as those two had. My body was numb. I felt nothing, not even the breath I was using as I uttered those two words. I pushed with a numbed hand and hoped to God that it had been with enough force to send him tumbling down the steps and away from the gunmen. The look of horror on his face as he realized what I had done tore my heart to pieces. His arm reached out for me, but I was falling back and away from him. I wanted to push myself forward, to reach out for him as well, but my body no longer wanted to move. I fell on my back and tears fell down the side of my face as his cries of pain reached my ears. When those cries stopped, my tears fell harder._

_The gunmen stopped shooting and came down the steps towards me. One of them leaned over me, saw that my eyes were still open and said something to the other man. I didn't understand what it was, but I didn't care. The man reached down and picked me up. He slung me over his shoulder so that my head hung halfway down his back. They made their way down the steps quickly and stopped at the bottom. I couldn't see what was in front of the man, but he was standing in such a way that I could see the lower half of Kaiba's twisted body. The men said something else to one another, laughed, and then walked away. _

_As the men walked away from the pyramid, I got a glimpse of Kaiba, lying motionless and bleeding all over the dirty ground at the base of the pyramid. What had I done? Had I tried to protect him only to condemn him to a painful death? I was still alive, but I hoped that it wouldn't be the case for long. I closed my eyes and willed my body to shut down, to give up its fight to keep living. As I was drifting off, I heard one distinct word; a word I knew the meaning of. _

"_Muerto," the man said. _

_He's dead.

* * *

_

I jerked awake, the sound of my scream fading into the night.

I had fallen asleep behind the wheel of the car, which was unbelievably stupid of me. I was in a very unsafe part of town, at an hour preferred by most thieves. I could defend myself if it came down to it, but the last thing I wanted was to have to harm anyone else. Dark had fully fallen, and Marina was probably worried sick about me by now. I ran my hands through my hair and calmed down my beating heart. When I felt sufficiently in control, I rolled up the window I had left down, took the keys off the ignition and put them underneath the seat, where they were most likely to be found. I locked the car, stepped out of it and closed it. I made sure that all doors had locked properly before staring out on my journey back to my house. My senses were alert and I had confidence in my skills that I would notice any danger before it got to me.

My alertness was justified shortly thereafter. Five minutes into my walk home, I sensed the presence. It was ahead of me and a little off to my left, behind what looked, from this distance, to be an abandoned car. It was a tall man who had completely hidden himself in shadows. The moon's light seemed to bend around him so that all I could see when I looked in his direction was complete darkness. That effect didn't stop me from sensing him, however. I didn't feel any malice from the man, only apprehension. He wasn't moving towards me; he seemed content to simply observe me from his vantage point. I shrugged and kept walking. If some weirdo wanted to stare at me, than so be it. As long as he didn't get within touching range of me, no one was going to get hurt.

I walked past the abandoned car and had convinced myself that the man was not a threat when I felt him move. He moved quickly and before I knew it, he was standing right behind me. I sensed the arm that was heading to grab me and before it could touch me, I whirled around, using my smaller body to my advantage. I took the arm and used the man's own momentum to throw him over my shoulder. When he hit the ground, I flipped him over onto his stomach and twisted the arm that was still in my grasp behind him, so that his hand was in between his shoulder blades. I sank my right knee into his lower back to immobilize him. The man didn't make a sound. He simply lay there without making a move to defend himself. I hadn't even broken a sweat during the scuffle, but I was annoyed at the interruption in my late night walk. I was about to demand an explanation for his attack, when he beat me to the punch.

"Impressive moves," the man said.

The tension in my body grew, and I tightened my hold of the man's arm. It was now apparent that the man meant me no harm, but I kept him on the ground simply for the pleasure of having gotten the best of him. I shifted a bit more of my weight onto my right knee and was finally rewarded by an almost inaudible groan.

"It's called survival," I said. "If you want to live badly enough you learn to do whatever is necessary. You'd know something about that, wouldn't you, Kaiba?" I finally released his arm and got to my feet. "You're lucky I didn't break your arm."

Kaiba got up and dusted the dirt off of his clothing and his hair. The moonlight wasn't very bright, but it was enough for me to see his face, which meant that he could also see my face. I schooled my expression into the most indifferent expression I could manage and stared at him. He stretched the arm I'd been holding and winced slightly as he lifted it over his head.

"A little more and you would have broken it, Yugi. That's why I spoke up," he said. "Where did you learn to do that?"

I shook my head in annoyance and disgust and resumed the walk towards my house without bothering to answer him. The adrenaline rush was starting to subside and I felt my head throb in response. The dream I'd woken up from was suddenly in my mind, and I couldn't get the look of terror on Kaiba's face as he fell down the steps out of my mind. It made my heart ache with the loss that we had both suffered that day; a loss that neither of us was likely to recover from. Kaiba fell into step beside me and we walked in silence for a few moments. I could feel his discomfort and apprehension, and wondered if he could feel mine.

"What are you doing here?" I finally asked without slowing my brisk walk.

"I came to pick up the car," he replied.

"The car is that way," I said, and pointed in the opposite direction of the way we were headed.

"I know. It'll be there tomorrow," he said.

I shrugged. I could care less what he did. That's what I was telling myself, at least. My heart had other ideas, since it hadn't stopped pounding ever since I realized that I was talking to Kaiba. We walked in silence for a few more minutes before I finally got fed up with the situation. I stopped and whirled on him.

"What do you think you're doing? Do you plan on following me the whole night?" I yelled.

Earlier in the day, he'd practically told me to go to hell and now he couldn't stop following me? Worse yet, he was goading me, deliberately annoying me, or so it seemed like it to me, for no apparent reason. He was doing his best to get in my face, when all I wanted was to not look at him and be reminded of that day in Teotihuacán when I'd pushed him to his almost death. I guess I should be grateful that instead of killing him, I'd simply managed to put him in a coma for a good chunk of his life. No wonder he'd been so irritated with my refusal to go into the hotel and talk. Not that I blamed him for it.

"Well, since you wouldn't come into the hotel to talk to us earlier, I decided to talk to you here instead, on your terms, and without anyone else present."

That surprised me. I'd assumed that he hadn't been willing to go someplace else to talk because he didn't want to be near me. I released my breath in an exasperated rush and crossed my arms over my chest as I had when I was a child and wanted to get my way with my grandfather.

"You could have fooled me, Kaiba. You were so welcoming earlier, after all."

Kaiba actually chuckled. I couldn't see his face, because the wind had blown his hair in front of his face, but I could just imagine that condescending look on his face.

"The sarcasm doesn't suit you, Yugi," he said. "You sound like me."

My eyes widened in surprise. Did I really sound like him? Thinking back to the last few years, I guess I had adopted an attitude of indifference and disinterest, if only to protect myself and Marina, and to keep myself from pining away for a man, and a home, I couldn't have. I must have unconsciously adopted mannerisms I remembered well.

"You should know better than anyone how far sarcasm and a well placed insult gets you. After all, it's not a good idea to show any weakness. Isn't that right?"

It took me a few steps to realize that he'd stopped walking.

"It looks like you've finally gotten the picture," I said and resumed my walk. "I've already told you where the car is, so have a nice trip back."

I quickened my pace as my throat tightened and my eyes began to burn. If I walked fast enough, maybe I'd be far enough away from him when the last, whole part of my heart finally shattered.

I'd been so wrapped up in my inner turmoil that I failed to notice when Kaiba got close enough to put his hand on my shoulder. I instinctively ducked and struck out with my right leg, but he'd been ready for me this time and dodged effortlessly. He moved behind me with impressive speed, and by the time I was ready to counter, he had his arms wrapped around my chest from behind, effectively pinning my arms to my side. I lifted both of my legs off the ground and let him hold my entire weight for a brief moment, before going limp. The trick worked, and I was able to simply slip out of the hold. That was one of the advantages of being short that I'd always been grateful for. I took off at a dead run, my feet pounding the pavement in quick, rhythmic steps. I heard Kaiba's steps behind me and knew that if I ran straight ahead, he'd easily catch me. When I felt him close, I dodged right and changed direction, narrowly avoiding his grip once again. What the hell was he doing? Why didn't he just leave?

I'd inadvertently run onto a road that was not well paved and I tripped on a raised part of the cement. I stumbled forward, but managed to catch myself and keep going. The incident had made me lose time and before I knew it, Kaiba had grabbed a hold of me from behind again. I felt wetness on my face and wondered if it had suddenly started to rain.

"I'm sorry," Kaiba said as he held me, his mouth inches away from my ear. "I know what type of people I left you with; I'm aware of how they operated and can only imagine what they made you do in exchange for your life."

My breath caught in my throat and I shook my head, negating his words. I was not going to cry, damn it. I was not going to lose it like a baby, not when I'd fought so hard to piece my life together and make it work on my terms, not anyone else's. Too late I realized that the moisture on my face wasn't rain, but my falling tears.

"It didn't occur to me until well after you left that you might not have wanted to come into the hotel because you were afraid of being seen. I should have realized it as soon as I saw how different your appearance was. Whatever it was, Yugi, whatever you've done, whatever they made you do, I can assure you that it's not anything I haven't done before."

I was suddenly shaking. I clenched my hands into fists and tightened my jaw. Was he offering me absolution, understanding, or both? Could I open my mouth and let my sins tumble out like spilled, red wine? I shook my head again. I couldn't do it. I couldn't say it. Voicing my sins would only make what I'd buried in my soul room a reality, and I just wasn't ready to do that. If my inability to confirm his suspicions caused Kaiba to drop me and walk away, then so be it. It wasn't like I hadn't already let him go.

I went limp, not with the intention of slipping out of his grasp again, but admitting my defeat instead. We'd fought and he'd won. I was going to keep quiet and continue on my merry way to a house that wasn't a home and a woman who was just as haunted as I was. He'd go back to Japan to rebuild the life he'd been absent from for the last five years. I had no doubt that he could do it. After all, he was Seto Kaiba. He could do anything.

"It's okay, Yugi. I wouldn't want to talk about it either."

He set me gently on the ground and released me. I stood there, my head bowed, as the last of my tears fell to the dirt below me. I still couldn't believe what he'd said. It was running over and over in my head, as if it was something I'd yelled into a canyon that was now being bounced back to me. Was it really okay?

Kaiba moved to stand in front of me, and then he reached out and gently raised my head with a gentle touch so that our eyes met. The moonlight shone fully into his face, and I saw nothing but a desperate need in his expression. A desperate need for what, I couldn't tell, but the important thing was that he was not walking away. He brushed the last of my tears out of my face, just like I'd done for him after Mokuba's death, and then put both hands on my cheeks.

"I don't care what you've done, and you don't have to tell me about it until you're ready, if ever," Kaiba said. "What I do care about right now is that you need to come back home with me."

**End of Chapter**

_**Song Credit: Incomplete – performed by Backstreet Boys**_

Next up: Kaiba's turn to reflect._**   
**_


	16. Interlude: Oh How the Years Go By

Greetings!

In case you're wondering why I'm updating, you can blame MotherCHOWGoddess for giving me ideas, especially ideas that take hold and just won't go away. So, since she, and a couple of others, requested it, here is another interlude from Ryou's point of view. It takes place right before the last interlude I posted (so this is right after the scene in the car).

Also, I provided an update for all of my stories in my bio, if you're interested (and read any of the other stories).

Reviews:

**Luthien-Ikari: **Ryou in the first series was sort of scary… then again, almost everyone was. I wish my Japanese were better so I could understand more of what's going on. I'm sorry I made you cry! It wasn't my intention. Then again, the situation sort of got a bit sad, didn't it?

is praying for Yuugi to run crying into Kaiba/Ryou's arms, confess amd ask for him and Marina to go back to Japan

Wait a minute, you want Yugi to run crying to both Kaiba and Ryou? Hmm… now that would make for some interesting storytelling. Thanks for the review and don't worry, you're not insane. At least no more insane than the rest of us.

**Shadowwaker**: Maybe I should start providing cyber boxes of Kleenexes with my chapters hands one over Thank you for the compliment, though! I'm glad you enjoy the story regardless of all the angst (and all the crying)!

**S.K**: It's coming to an end… eventually. Just kidding. This one won't go on for much longer, I don't think. 15 chapters is a lot already. There are just a couple more things I need to do before I can end it. I think Kaiba is pretty much confused about everything right now. I mean, he still thinks he's a teenager, while everyone around him has grown up. It's going to take a bit to come to grips with it all.

Good luck with exams! I hope you do well.

**MotherCHOWGoddess**: See what you made me do? You and your great Ryou POV in Midnight… Now I've got three characters battling for supremacy in my head. I should never have started, because now that I've written Ryou once, I want to do it again. Kaiba's embezzlers were embezzling money for the revolutionaries… so that's how it all adds up. I don't remember if there was an explanation about that or not. If there wasn't, I need to write one at some point.

Thanks for the review and I hope you like the chapter! I hope it doesn't stink… runs and hides

**Ptolemy:** Giddiness is good, so I'm happy to have provided that for you! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm very happy to hear that you're enjoying the story. Seto/Yugi is new to me, but I've had a lot of fun writing them. Don't worry, I don't think you'll go mad; the story will have resolution; I can promise you that. Thanks for reviewing.

**Higuchimon**: You brought up a very interesting point and I hope that I can provide an answer. I have never felt comfortable writing Yami and I write him in very small portions. If you've read anything else of mine, you can see the same pattern there as well. Not only that, but the majority of stories posted on this board (if not the majority, then a great deal of them) are about exactly that: Yami coming to Yugi's rescue. Partly because of that, I've tried to stay away from the same pattern. I've always valued Yugi as his own character, separate from Yami, and have tried to come up with situations where Yugi doesn't depend on Yami and can fend for himself. I realize that the route this story took is not necessarily what is expected, or what it should be according to the show, but I have a tendency to diverge from normalcy. I thank you for letting me know how you feel, and that you did enjoy the story regardless. I hope that you continue to do so. Thanks!

**-glomps Yugi- **What happened depends on who you ask. Yugi thought Kaiba had left him behind (because he did know that Kaiba wasn't dead) but Kaiba had no clue about what was going on (since the poor dear was dead to the world). It's all a big mess that will hopefully get sorted out by the end of the story. Thanks for the review.

**Nenya85**: I don't know why the image of Yugi acting like Kaiba is appealing to me, but there you have it. I know, it probably would make more sense for Yami to do it, since he's the more forceful of the two. Besides, I thought it'd make for some interesting confrontations, ahem discussions, if they both were being hardheaded and irrational. Maybe Yami can be the peacekeeper for once…

Don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily trying to paint a picture of Kaiba as a murderer (and I'm even using the term strongly with Yugi), but I figured that Kaiba has had to do some very unsavory things in his life, things that he's ashamed of now. Even if he can't relate to actually having killed someone (and I probably will have to do some research to find out if he has), the feelings are somewhat the same.

**Seers: **Actually, Yugi's breakdown sort of already happened… it would have had to, in order for him to survive as long as he has. Well, in order for him to realize he wanted to survive at all. We just haven't gotten to see it yet. We will, though… flashbacks are wonderful things and Yami has a lot of stories to tell.

**Ashla: **Either I read your mind or you read mine… but you know what they say: great minds think a like. I'm glad you liked the chapter.

**YumeTakato: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

**Interlude: Oh How the Years Go By**

**Ryou's POV**

_In our times of trouble  
We only had ourselves  
Nobody else  
No one there to save us  
We had to save ourselves_

"Kaiba is such a fool."

I slammed the door behind me and winced when the sound echoed in my spacious suite. Next door, I heard the exact same sound, which told me that Kaiba had gone into his suite as well. He had refused to say anything to me about why he'd treated Yugi the way he had, no matter how loud I spoke or how much I pleaded for an answer. I'd finally ended up getting in his face, but he'd just pushed me aside as if I were a nuisance and continued on his way. I had almost gone after him to force a physical confrontation, but one look at his face, when he'd turned around and told me to leave him alone, had been enough to dissuade me from that course of action.

I shrugged off my suit jacket and threw it at the nearest chair. I undid my tie and did the same thing. When was that idiot going to learn that his 'I can do everything on my own and don't need anyone's help' attitude could only go so far? Would it kill him to pause for a moment and talk to me? I had hoped that after losing five years of his life he would be a little more open to confiding in others and letting them help, but I'd been sadly mistaken. If all of the changes he was dealing with at the moment couldn't convince him to reach out and accept help, I don't think anything else ever will.

"You should know better than to expect anything else from that man" the spirit of the ring piped up.

I sighed in defeat, not in the mood for dealing with the spirit's cynical attitude, but knowing that I didn't have a choice. The spirit had gotten out of the ring and sat down on one of the comfortable sofas in the receiving area of the suite. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch, the picture of serenity. He looked at me intently, as if waiting for me to continue my rant. I was well aware that the spirit would take whatever I said and more than likely twist it into whatever he wanted, but at this point, I could really use someone to talk to.

Besides, the spirit of the ring wasn't all that bad. We'd come to an understanding over the years and had learned to coexist with one another, without killing or suppressing the other. The spirit had mellowed out quite a bit, and I had a feeling that it had to do with the absence of Yami. The spirit had even said as much once, when he thought I was no longer paying attention. The exact statement had been "who is there left to fight, if all the worthy opponents have gone missing?" I had never let him know that I'd overheard, which was probably better for me.

"Kaiba is still the same, insufferable, and hard headed teenager he was before," I continued, getting back to the problem at hand. I paced in front of the spirit, who kept his eyes on me the entire time. "You'd think that with the way he carried on when we were still in Japan, he would have been ecstatic to see Yugi again. Instead, what does he do? He tells him to go to hell."

I stopped pacing directly in front of the spirit, who was regarding me with an unreadable expression, and crossed my arms.

"I think I liked Kaiba better when he was a vegetable," the spirit said.

I ignored the comment, but there must have been something on my face, because the spirit held out his hands in appeasement.

"What would you have liked for him to do?" the spirit asked calmly.

"I don't know!" I said and began to pace again. "Maybe I would have liked for Kaiba to have heard Yugi out, or at the very least, ask why he didn't want to come inside."

"Do you know why Yugi refused to come inside?"

"I was going to ask Yugi what was going on, but he didn't give me the chance. He was so angry. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before."

"Yes, that was a difference," the spirit said. "The pharaoh's brat finally has a backbone. He's also a lot more haunted than he was before. I think the world finally showed him what a cruel place it can be."

I narrowed my eyes at that comment and finally dropped down on the couch beside the spirit. "Haunted?" I asked, wracking my brain for any signs that I might have missed. Yugi was overall different, quieter, a lot more detached from those around him, but that could simply have been because of all the years that have gone by. "How could you tell?"

The spirit shrugged. "Killing and death are things that I know well," he said softly. "Blood is something I can readily recognize, and Yugi has a lot of it on him."

"Yugi wouldn't hurt a fly," I said immediately. "We both know that."

The thought was ridiculous. After all, wasn't Yugi always the one looking for ways out so that people wouldn't get hurt? Wasn't he the one choosing to get hurt himself so that he could spare others the pain? He'd done it for me on a few occasions, so I knew very well that Yugi liked to avoid harming others. Besides, Yami would never let him. For all the darkness Yami lived and thrived in, he wasn't evil, and he wouldn't allow for Yugi to fall into any of that.

The spirit stood up and stood over me, studying me intently. He remained like that for a few moments, until he finally spoke.

"Sometimes, we do things in order to survive that we wouldn't ordinarily do," the spirit said. "Keep that in mind the next time you talk to Yugi."

With that, the spirit went back into the ring. I stared at the spot he'd occupied for a long moment, digesting what he'd said. The idea of Yugi harming or killing anyone was something that I could not conceive of. If the spirit was right, and he had no reason to lie to me about something like that, I couldn't imagine what would have driven Yugi to do something like that. I sighed. I wish he hadn't run away. I wish he'd come in and stayed with us, with me. Now, more than before, I wanted to talk to him, maybe to reassure him. Perhaps that's why he'd run away and refused to talk to us. Maybe he's afraid to tell us that he's done some horrible things. Yugi should know better than to fear that. He's my friend. I would never turn him away.

_And when the storms came through  
They found me and you  
Back to back together  
And when the sun would shine  
It was yours and mine  
Yours and mine forever  
_

I went to the mini bar and poured myself a drink. I wasn't much of a drinker, but this occasion definitely called for it. Instead of going back to the sofa, I went out onto the balcony, which overlooked the hotel's perfectly manicured gardens, and drank my vodka and tonic very slowly. My tolerance for alcohol was lousy, and all I had to do was recall a certain night out on the town with Joey, where we'd both gotten absolutely plastered, but only I had ended up puking my guts out behind the club, to remind me of that. Joey had never let me live it down, and I felt my cheeks heat up at the memory of it. Thinking of Joey reminded me that I had yet to call him and tell him what was going on. He would probably be sleep, but I had no doubt that he wouldn't mind my interruption.

I found my jacket draped over the sofa where it had landed when I'd thrown it earlier. I fished my cellular phone out of the pocket and dialed the Kaiba mansion. The phone was picked up on the second ring by a very awake sounding Joey.

"If this isn't Ryou Bakura, I don't want to talk to you. Go away and stop hogging the line."

I had to laugh at the extreme Joey was apparently going to keep the line unoccupied.

"It's not like the mansion doesn't have three other lines and you don't have two cell phones where I can call you," I said.

"It's about damn time, you idiot! What's going on? I expected to be called as soon as you made contact."

Joey's voice was unusually loud and rushed, which meant that he was probably riding either a caffeine or a sugar high. Considering that it was very early morning in Japan, it was probably both.

"I would have called you earlier if I'd had a chance. I just now got back to the hotel," I said patiently, knowing to just let Joey vent when he got into one of these moods.

"So, was it Yugi? Did you finally find him?"

My face broke out in a huge grin despite the fact that Joey couldn't see me. "Yes, Joey, it was Yugi. We finally found him."

The other end of the line was silent for a long time, and I could imagine what Joey was feeling. After all, I'd just gone through the same thing a few hours ago.

"Dear God, after all this time…" Joey trailed off, his voice subdued and slightly choked up. "I can't believe we finally found him. It's been such a long, hard search."

_Oh how the years go by  
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes  
All through the changes the soul never dies  
We fight, we laugh, we cry  
As the years go by  
_

"Yes, it has," I agreed, my voice as soft as a whisper. "It's been worth it, though."

I closed my eyes and pictured every other lead we'd ever had, every other place and every other person we'd gone to see that had turned out to be the wrong man. The fear that Yugi had been dead, the worry that we'd failed him, the desperation to at least find out one way or the other, was all finally over. We'd found him.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Joey asked, his voice back to the way it had been when I'd first reached him.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused at the sudden change in the conversation.

"What are you waiting for? Let me talk to him!"

'Here we go,' I thought to myself as the door to the room next to mine slammed shut again. 'This was the part I didn't want to tell him.'

"Yugi isn't with me, Joey."

"WHAT?"

I had to hold the phone away from my ear to avoid being left deaf in that ear.

"What do you mean he's not with you? Where else would he be?" Joey stopped talking for a moment, and then chuckled. "Don't tell me he's already with Kaiba? That was mighty fast, don't you think?

I felt my stomach clench at the comment, especially since I knew the reason why Yugi wasn't here. I was glad that Joey wasn't in the same country as we were, or I'd be worried about Kaiba's well being.

"Yugi isn't with Kaiba either," I said.

There was a long pause. "Okay, so Yugi isn't with you and he isn't with Kaiba… where is he?"

"He's home with his wife, I would imagine," I said.

The pause was much longer this time. I heard movement, and had no doubt that Joey had gotten up from wherever he'd been sitting to pace.

"Did you say wife?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do I want to know the story?" he asked.

I sighed again. "I don't even know the story, Joey. We found Yugi and then he ran off. Kaiba ran after him and when we caught him, Yami was the one that talked to us. The woman he'd been with is apparently his wife. I don't know more than that."

"Damn, Kaiba must have had a fit," Joey said. "After all, I don't think that the five years he spent in a coma changed his feelings for Yugi much."

I clenched my jaw at the thought. It was times like this that I felt like running around and screaming at the top of my lungs that life wasn't fair for always handing me the short straw in everything. I resisted the urge, however. I was, after all, an adult.

"Well, you know Kaiba," was all I said.

"Even so, that doesn't explain why Yugi isn't with you. After five years of looking for him, how could you just let him walk away? Do you even know where he lives?"

There was no helping it. I was going to have to tell him about the conversation in the car. When I was finished, I got exactly the reaction I had expected.

"That stupid, arrogant, good for nothing, cold hearted, son of a bitch! I should fly down there and rip him a new one. I can't believe…"

I pulled the phone away form my ear again to drown out the sound of Joey's ranting. Yup, things never change. I took another sip of my drink and savored the flavor of the vodka running down my throat. At the rate things were going, I was going to have to pour me another drink. I took a chance and put the phone back on my ear again, and was just in time to catch the last part of the conversation Joey had going with himself.

"That's it, I'm going to call that bastard and give him a piece of my mind. What's the room number of where you're staying?"

"What? Joey, are you nuts? What do you hope to accomplish by calling him?" Besides, Kaiba probably wasn't in his room anymore, if the sound of the door slamming when I'd first called Joey had been any indication.

"Someone has to talk some sense into the man, and if you're in your room talking to me, it probably isn't going to be you."

"Yugi chose to leave, Joey. Didn't you hear what I said? Besides, I know where he'll be tomorrow," I said, attempting to be the voice of reason.

"Forget the room number, Ryou, I've got Kaiba's cell phone number. He did take that thing with him, didn't he?"

I remained quiet, since I had a feeling that Joey was no longer talking to me.

"Okay, it's settled. I have to go Ryou, I've got a Kaiba to yell at."

With that, Joey hung up. I stared at the phone in my hand and shook my head. Joey could be very serious, business like, and mature most of the time, but there were times, like this one, where he reverted back to the hot headed teenager he used to be. I threw the phone at the sofa and winced when it bounced off the cushion and landed on the floor with a loud clatter. Oh, well, if it broke I could get another one. I made my way to the mini bar again and refilled my suddenly empty glass. I went into my room and plopped down on the bed. This was going to be a long day.

_There were times we stumbled  
They thought they had us down  
But we came around  
How we rolled and rambled  
We got lost and we got found  
Now we're back on solid ground  
_

I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, it was almost dark. I had fallen asleep with the glass of vodka in my hand, and I was grateful to see that it was still full. I put the glass down on the bedside table, not in the mood for it anymore. My stomach rumbled, and I headed out of the room and into the receiving area in search of a room service menu. I had taken five steps out of the room when someone started to pound on the door to the suite.

"I know you're in there, Ryou, open the damn door."

I sighed.

"I could deal with him, you know," the spirit said as he materialized beside me. "I haven't talked to him in a long time."

I turned to the spirit and considered letting him have his way. In the end, I shook my head.

"This is my problem to deal with. Besides, I've got plenty of things I want to say to him."

"Are you sure? I could make it fun," the spirit persisted, a smirk on his face.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Fine, have it your way," the spirit said and disappeared back into the ring.

Meanwhile, the door to the suite continued to be beaten by a very angry Kaiba. I shook my head in annoyance at the scene he was making. He was acting just like Joey had over the phone.

'Joey must have gotten a hold of him after all,' I thought as a smile broke out on my face. 'It serves him right."

I practically stalked to the door and threw it open, causing Kaiba, who'd been leaning on the door, to stumble into the suite. He caught himself and then stood before me, trying to use his height to intimidate me. It didn't work.

"What did you tell Wheeler?" Kaiba demanded.

"I told him the truth," I said. "It stings, doesn't it?"

He didn't immediately reply. Instead, he closed the door to the suite and made his way inside. He looked around the room, before his eyes finally settled on me.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I did," he said.

"I never expected you to," I said. "I'm sure you're aware of what you did and only you know why you did it. I don't understand one thing, though. You were so eager to come here when I told you that I had a lead on Yugi. We find him, and you pretty much tell him to go to hell without even taking the time to hear him out. I wonder where your loyalties lie."

The comment hung in the air between us like a giant anvil, waiting to crush us both. Kaiba didn't look away, and I had to give him credit for that.

"So instead of coming to me, you called Wheeler, who is a half world away, and had him call me and yell at me?"

My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it, but I didn't back away.

"I called Joey to tell him that we'd finally found Yugi. I figured he'd want to know, since we've both spent the last five years looking for him," I said, my voice calmer than I would have thought possible. "He, naturally, wanted to talk to Yugi. Imagine his surprise when I told him that Yugi wasn't with us."

Kaiba at least had the decency to look guilty. I should have gotten some satisfaction out of it, if it weren't for the thought that Yugi, wherever he was, was probably miserable because of what Kaiba had said and the way he'd reacted.

"Wheeler is still a loud mouth," Kaiba said. "I would have though that he'd grown up in the past five years."

That comment stung for reasons I couldn't even begin to understand. Maybe it was the way he'd said it. Maybe it was just that the comment had come from Kaiba. Maybe I was just having a bad day.

"Joey is loyal to his friends," I said, "just as I am. Yugi means the world to us, and we'd run over anyone, or anything, that would cause him pain." I took a couple of steps towards him, until we were almost touching. "I don't care how you feel, Kaiba, but I'm going to do whatever it takes. When that airplane takes off to go back to Japan, Yugi is coming with us."

_We took everything  
All our times would bring  
In this world of dangers  
'Cause when your heart is strong  
You know you're not alone  
In this world of strangers  
_

Kaiba didn't say a thing; he just turned and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going? We're not finished," I said.

Kaiba stopped with his hand on the door knob.

"I'm not stupid, Ryou, I know a good thing when I see it. I'm going to go after him," he said and before I knew it, he'd stepped out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

I stared at the door for a long time, until the sky outside had fully darkened and I was bathed in darkness. There went my biggest problem. How could I be angry at the fact that Yugi had chosen Kaiba over me when it was painfully apparent that Kaiba, despite his selfish tendencies, would do anything for Yugi? I couldn't be angry, but I could still be heartbroken.

I turned away from the door and headed back into my room. That discarded drink was beginning to look good again.

_Oh how the years go by  
Oh how the love brings tears to my eyes  
All through the changes the soul never dies  
We fight, we laugh, we cry  
As the years go by_

**Song Credit: Oh How the Years Go By, performed by Vanessa Williams**

Next up: Yugi and Kaiba have a nice, long, chat.

I'm going to go hide now... see you all later!


	17. The Chasm of Time

Whew... !wipes sweat from brow! This is by far the hardest chapter I've ever written… not because the content was hard, but because I lost my inspiration and desire to write somewhere between the last time I posted and yesterday evening. For a few months, I'd stare at the first two pages of this chapter (what I had written back in August) and be absolutely clueless about what to do with it. I'm still not happy with it, because I just realized that I am no good at writing a romance, but here it is anyway.

Special thanks go to Nenya85, who was kind enough to allow me to bounce ideas/concerns/problems off of her and was very instrumental in getting me back in the groove of things so I could get this chapter written. !sends cyber chocolate, flowers, and candy her way!. If you haven't read her story "It's Deja Vu All Over Again" please check it out! It always gives me inspiration and makes me want to write.

**Recap**: Umm… well, Bakura and Kaiba went to Mexico because they had a lead on Yugi. It turns out that they finally found the right person, but Kaiba ran Yugi off. Yugi and Kaiba finally get a chance to talk, and Kaiba tells Yugi that he doesn't care what's happened, because he wants Yugi to go home.

I think that pretty much covers it. I hope it does, at least. Thank you, as always, for the wonderful reviews. I really appreciate the support and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 17: The Chasm of Time **

The house, if it could even be called a house, was small. It was actually just one room, no bigger than my office at the mansion, divided into different areas by the careful placing of what little furniture there was: a pile of blankets that served as a bed against one wall, a black, iron stove next to another wall, a small table with only two chairs in the middle of the room, and an old, worn down dresser directly to the right of the door. There were marks leading from underneath the dresser to just in front of the door, which made me wonder why the dresser would have had to be used to block the door.

"Please, come in," Yugi said. He headed for the table and pulled out one of the chairs. "Take a seat. I have a feeling that we have a long night ahead of us."

After he'd pieced himself together, Yugi had stated in no uncertain terms that we were going back to his house to talk. It had been an unusual experience, watching the normally expressive and emotional Yugi clamp down on his emotions. It hadn't been quickly enough, however, and I'd been able to see the exhaustion and fear on his face. It was what had led me to the conclusion I came to, but I hadn't been prepared for when Yugi finally faced me. The expressive face was so devoid of emotion that I had to wonder if I really was looking at Yugi or at some stranger I'd just met. The feeling had lasted until Yugi had given me a small, exhausted smile. The old Yugi was still in there somewhere, probably buried under five years of horrors. I had a feeling that it was going to take me a while to find him again.

Yugi had immediately taken charge of the situation and had led me to his home. I'd been so relieved that he hadn't just taken off again that I had agreed to go, though now I wasn't sure if it had been the best idea. There was so much to say, and yet, I had no idea how to begin to say it. Yugi's drawn expression and clenched fists belayed the same trouble and I had a suspicion that it was going to take us both a long time to finally get around to what we needed to say.

Marina was standing next to the stove, a pan of something that smelled awfully good to my empty stomach in her hand, staring at me. Her expression was guarded, and I could only tell by the white knuckles around the handle of the pan that she was not too happy to see who her husband had brought home. She looked away from me and addressed Yugi in Spanish, and I was left with a suspicion that she was talking about me. Her voice was rapid and would rise every so often, but Yugi's expression never changed. He regarded her with patience, and a love and protectiveness so fierce that I couldn't stop the jealousy I felt. Suddenly, Marina exhaled and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she turned back to me, and whatever she'd been feeling towards me was gone. She offered me a weak, but sincere, smile and lifted the pot slightly.

"Ahorita sirvo la cena," she said, and turned back to the stove.

I nodded, not having understood a word she said, and turned to Yugi, who still held the chair out for me. I made my way to the table and folded my long legs underneath the low piece of furniture, wincing as my knees hit the top of the table.

"She said she'll serve dinner in a bit," Yugi said as he plopped down on top of the mound of blankets that served as their bed. He crossed his legs underneath him and ran his hands through his short hair. "Please forgive her, Kaiba. She's not used to strangers and she's got a lot to be worried about when they do come around."

"I noticed the marks in front of the door," I said, "I take it you have to barricade it often."

Yugi's expression didn't change and I had to give him credit for his self control. When it became apparent that Yugi was not going to respond to my comment, I spoke again. "Why am I here, Yugi? Did you want me to see that you've moved on? Did you want me to see that you've made a life for yourself with a woman you obviously love?"

I tried to keep the anger out of my voice, but I wasn't entirely successful. All of it, the trip to Mexico, the troubles with Shishio, putting up with Ryou and Joey, all seemed like such a waste. I suddenly felt very tired and was very tempted to get up and walk away. Why had I come? Why had I put myself in this situation where I was obviously going to be on the losing end? My brother's loss still weighed heavily in my heart, and I was not ready for another loss.

"Seto Kaiba, you have always been so critical, so logical, so easy to come to conclusions," Yugi finally said. "I have no doubt that particular quality has served you well over the years, but in this case, you're wrong."

Yugi looked down at his clasped hands for a long while and I didn't know what to make of what he'd said. How was I wrong? I almost asked the question, but Yugi's soft voice stopped me.

"I do love Marina, Kaiba, but not as you may think. My heart belongs to someone else."

At first, I wasn't sure if I'd heard the statement correctly. My mind suddenly went blank, and every coherent thought that I had was suddenly gone. All I could see in my head was my brother, in that place I existed while I was in the coma, telling me that it was time to go, that I had a better life for me here. I had begun to wonder if all Mokuba had sent me back to the world of the living for was more pain and misery, but my little brother wouldn't do that. He was the only person in the world that I could be sure would never hurt me. When everything had come down all of those years ago, I had begun to hope that Yugi could be another person I could count on and cared for as much as I'd cared for Mokuba, but I hadn't been given the chance to find out. Did I still have a chance? Did Yugi even care anymore?

The sound of a plate being put on the table in front of me startled me out of my musings. I looked down at it, and then followed the hand up to see Marina looking at me. Her brown eyes bore into mine as if daring me to give her a reason not to trust me. My immediate reaction was to meet the challenge head on like I always did, but I halted the instinct to go on the offensive. It would do me no good to challenge Marina. She wasn't a threat to me and I had little interest in her past the fact that she was married to Yugi. She wanted me to give her a reason to fear and mistrust me, but I was not about to do that. She had no reason to fear me, just as Yugi had no reason to fear me. I was intruding on their space and I would respect that. I nodded in thanks for the food and she immediately released the plate and walked back to the stove.

We ate in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. Marina, who had taken a seat on the only other chair around the small table while Yugi remained where he'd been, kept shooting glances in my direction. She looked as if she had something to ask, but never said a word. Yugi would glance at her once in a while, but never turned to look at me, instead choosing to keep his face down, as if preparing for something. His last comment, before Marina had brought dinner, was still fresh on my mind:

"I do love Marina, Kaiba, but not as you may think. My heart belongs to someone else."

The self-assured and confident part of me wanted to believe that he was referring to me. Five years of lost time, however, and the different circumstances in which I'd found Yugi, led me to be a little more conservative in my assumptions. Then again, he had invited me to his home. That had to mean something, didn't it?

"I take it you liked the meal?"

I wrenched myself out of my thoughts to find Yugi looking at me. It took me a while to realize where the off the wall comment had come from, until I glanced down at my plate and saw that it was empty. My stomach was full, and yet I couldn't remember having eaten the food.

"Yes, the meal was delicious," I said to Yugi. "Gracias," I then said to Marina, recalling what little Spanish I actually knew. She gave me a small nod and returned to picking up the dishes and cleaning up.

"We need to talk," Yugi said as he took the seat opposite me, where Marina had sat during dinner. "I need to know why you're here."

My mouth opened, but I found myself unable to utter a word. Something had snaked around my chest and was squeezing it with such ferocity that it felt as if I was being crushed by a boulder.

"Why am I here?" I finally managed to choke out.

"Why did you come?" Yugi asked.

How could he not already know? How could he think that I'd be here for anything other than for him? How could he doubt my words, the words I'd said to him earlier, words that I had never said to anyone else and that I meant wholeheartedly?

"I came for you," I said, simply and honestly, through the tightness in my chest.

I chided myself for having allowed Yugi to mean so much to me. Mokuba's loss resurfaced all of a sudden, and I clearly recalled his gray eyes, wide with surprise as he fell to his death. I hadn't felt the way I did now since the day I stood alone at the foot of my brother's grave, wishing that the Earth would open up and take me wherever it had taken my brother, and I had sworn to myself then that I would never let myself feel that kind of pain again. I had been a fool.

With a screech from the old chair, I stood up and made my way to the door. I had my hand on the knob when Yugi's hand wrapped around my arm. I tried to pull away, but Yugi's surprisingly strong hold kept me in place. Yugi pulled on my arm until I was facing him and when my eyes met his, the vulnerability in them almost took my breath away.

"Why?" he repeated. "You don't know me anymore, Kaiba. Why do you still want me to go with you?"

The tightness in my chest suddenly disappeared, as I realized that Yugi didn't doubt my intentions or my honesty, but he doubted his own worth. I took my right hand and placed it on his cheek, relishing the feel of the warm skin underneath mine. Yugi leaned into the palm slightly, at the same time that the hand that had grabbed my arm let go and slid up my arm.

"Five years doesn't change who you are, Yugi," I said. "I could tell from the moment I saw you on that beach that you're still the kind, caring person I enjoyed spending time with back in Domino. What you've done is no different than what I've done. You don't hold it against me and neither will I."

"You don't know what I've done," Yugi said. "You wouldn't say that if you did."

I slid my hand down until my thumb rested over Yugi's lips, effectively silencing him.

"You don't hold it against me either," I said. "Even after what you heard while we were on that pyramid, you don't hold my sins against me. Do you?"

He immediately shook his head, since I wasn't letting him vocalize the answer.

"Then we're even," I said.

Yugi smiled and I could feel the radiance of it through the thumb that still rested over his lips. He took a deep breath and then released it, the warm breath, and tension, leaving his body and touching my fingers as they did. I removed my hand as the smile died down. He looked me up and down, as if he were seeing me for the first time.

"I still can't believe it," he said softly as he ran his hand up and down my arm. "I still can't believe that you're really here."

"Believe it," I said. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Good," he said. He led me over to the table again and sat me down. "What was it like, being in a coma all those years?" he asked.

I shrugged, because I didn't want to open that particular can of worms at the moment. "I really don't remember. When I woke up, I still thought we'd be at Teotihuacán," I explained. "It was a shock to find out that not only was I back home, but that I'd lost five years."

"I can imagine," Yugi said. "How did you find out?"

I couldn't help but twist my lips in distaste as I thought about how I'd found out. "Wheeler," I said. "He lives in my house and runs my company."

Yugi's eyes widened in disbelief at that statement. "Joey runs Kaiba Corp.? How did that happen?"

I sighed. "I'm still not quite sure of that myself, but I'll be doing my best to find out when we get back."

The tension suddenly returned to Yugi and he glanced at Marina, whose back was turned to us as she washed dishes. He looked back at me almost shyly, like he wanted something he was afraid to ask for.

"You are coming back with us," I said, leaving no room for discussion. "You've been here for far too long and you need to come home."

Yugi looked down at his hands as his head shook slowly in denial.

"I can't leave. I can't go back there and face everyone, not after what I've…" he trailed off. He was quiet for a moment, before he raised his head to meet my eyes. When he did, there was a shadow, something calm and utterly dangerous in the violet pools that normally reflected nothing than serenity and peace. The look sent chills down my spine, but I kept my face utterly blank.

"The government won't let me go," he said, his voice low, sharp, and dangerous. "They know what I look like and they won't stop looking for me until they find me and kill me. I know too much, I've seen too much." He paused and then looked at Marina again. "I can't leave her," Yugi added. "I promised to take care of her."

I glanced at the woman in question, who had stopped washing dishes. She turned around then, as if sensing my scrutiny and her eyes again drilled into mine. This time, however, there was no challenge in them, just a plea. They flickered to Yugi for a bit, before they returned to me, and I could tell what she was trying to tell me: help him; take him home. I nodded once and she turned around to go back to the dishes. I planned on doing exactly what she asked.

"She can come with us," I said as I returned my attention to Yugi. "You don't have to leave her."

Yugi's expression softened a little, but the hardened look was still there.

"If I decided to do what you ask, how do you plan on getting us out of the country?"

The voice was the same, but the man behind it seemed to have switched on me while I wasn't looking. Yugi still looked the same, except for his eyes. They were now calculating, speculating, and gauging whether or not I could do what I said I'd do. If my plan wasn't to his satisfaction, I had a feeling that all bets were off.

"Believe it or not," I said, weary of this new side of Yugi I was facing, "being rich has its advantages. I haven't used my influence or money in five years. I say it's time to do so."

Yugi's eyes watched me, measured my sincerity and my ability to pull it off, to get them out of the country they were prisoners of. I sat through the scrutiny, letting him know with my own eyes that I was willing to correct the mistake I'd made all those years ago that had landed him in this situation to begin with.

Before Yugi had a chance to respond, a shrill ringing caused us both to jump. I chided myself once again, this time for my jumpiness, and then reached into the pocket of my slacks for my cellular phone.

"What!" I barked into the phone, hating the interruption.

"Where the hell are you?" came Bakura's irritated voice from the other end of the line. "I've been looking for you for the last two hours," he continued. "The least you could have done was tell me where you were going before you stormed out of my room."

"I don't have to keep you aware of my whereabouts," I growled into the phone, angry that Bakura dared assume that he had a right to know what I did and when I did it. "What do you want?"

"I found out where Yugi lives," Bakura said. "I've been trying to get a hold of you since I found out, but your phone wasn't in range until now."

I chuckled, glad to have the upper hand on the soft spoken man. "You're too slow, Bakura," I said. "I've been with Yugi for a while now. As a matter of fact, get over here as soon as you can."

"What? How did you find out?" Bakura asked, clearly disappointed that he hadn't been able to surprise me.

"It doesn't matter," I snapped. "Time is ticking, Bakura, get over here fast," I said and hung up the phone.

I looked up to find Yugi looking at me. "He knows where I am?" Yugi asked. "How'd he find out?"

I shrugged again. "Bakura is very resourceful and he's got the best guys working on this, so it doesn't surprise me that he found out," I explained. "Back to where we were: are you coming home with us?" I asked.

Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Do you know how to get us out of the country?" he countered.

I smirked. "Of course I know," I said. "Leave it to me, I already have a plan."

"Okay then, I guess we're going."

* * *

Next time: plans, planes, and Kaiba gets to be his bad ass self... Thanks for reading! 


	18. Home Again

Greetings!

Well, I didn't reach the year mark on updating this story, but its pretty close. I'm very sorry for the delay. I'm going to try to find a way to finish this story in the next couple of chapters. I'm not going to do what I'd originally intended, but at this point, I really don't see the point. There wasn't much reader interest in the story back when I last updated, so I doubt there will be now.

**Recap**: Kaiba convinced Yugi to go back to Japan, even though it was going to be risky to get them out of Mexico.

Enjoy!

&&&&

**Chapter 18: Home Again**

"That's it? That's your brilliant plan?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the incredulity in Yugi's voice, because, as on edge as he was, it would take very little to break the careful restraint he had managed on the way to the private airport where my jet was being prepared for takeoff. I had enough sense of self preservation to know that I did not want to set him off at the moment.

"What's wrong with my plan? If anyone talks to you, all you have to do is tell them that you're a business associate of mine and that I'm giving you a ride to Japan."

"I get that," Yugi said through clenched teeth. "My concern is that I don't have any travel documentation to show them if they ask me for it."

"They won't ask you for it, Yugi," I insisted.

"How do you know that?" he demanded.

"I'm Seto Kaiba," I said, "and you're with me. That's enough."

Yugi didn't immediately respond. Instead, he clenched his jaw and his hands while he glared at me, and I was very glad his hands weren't near my throat.

"You're insane," he finally said and crossed his arms.

Yugi was angry, and he was probably scared, but I couldn't help but think that he looked very handsome in his new suit, with his newly trimmed and dyed hair. The wild, golden locks he'd had before had been tamed and he now sported a very respectable, business like hair cut. The only thing I didn't like was the eyes: he had on brown contact lenses to hide the very unique color of his eyes, and they made him look foreign and not like himself. However, that was what we were going for; since I planned on having him simply walk up into the plane with Bakura and me.

"The doctor cleared me of all insanity before I left Domino, didn't he Bakura?" I asked the other occupant of the car, who had been silent and very withdrawn since we'd left the hotel.

The white haired teenager did not reply. Instead, he opened the door to the limousine and got out, slamming the door behind him. Surprised, I turned to watch him walk towards the jet. His shoulders were rigid and his right hand clutched the handle of his briefcase tightly. What was going on with the man? They'd gone through the plan at Yugi's house the night before, at the hotel just that morning, and they'd all come to an agreement that it was the best they could do under the circumstances. Bakura had not voiced any objections, so I didn't understand why he was having issues now. I briefly considered going after him, but decided against it. When I turned back to Yugi, he was looking after Bakura as well.

"What's with him?" Yugi asked. "He's been weird all morning. He's not like he was yesterday at all."

I shrugged. I had hardly known Ryou Bakura back before my life blew up in my face, and I knew even less about him now. He seemed angry, but at what, I could only guess. I'd gotten along better with Wheeler back home, so maybe it was just that I didn't know the man and didn't know how to relate to him. Yugi knew him better than I did, and even he thought Bakura was acting strange. It made sense for the white haired man to be cold towards me, but he and Yugi had been close friends. It didn't make sense for Bakura to treat Yugi so coldly either.

"Who knows," I finally said. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Yes, like this idiotic plan of yours," Yugi said. "Do you really think I'm going to get out of this car and walk up to your jet like I'm just going home from vacation? Do you see those people out there?"

I followed the finger Yugi had extended to see that he was pointing to the row of Mexican soldiers that were lined in front of the plane, no doubt waiting to inspect it, and us.

"Those are the _Federales_, Kaiba; they're the Mexican Federal Police. They know who I am, because they've spent the better part of the last four years looking for me. I am not about to go anywhere near them."

"Look at you, Yugi. You don't look like the person they're looking for anymore, so the chance of them recognizing you is very slim."

Yugi shook his head, as if he could not believe my stupidity. He was being more difficult about this than he had to be, and his reluctance was starting to wear on my nerves, which were already frayed.

"It's easy for you to say, Kaiba. You're not the one they're after."

There was something in his voice that cut through my own nervousness and fear. It was the almost defeated tone with which he said those words that drew my eyes back to him, to find that he'd lowered his head in resignation.

"Damn it!" I said before I could control the outburst.

Yugi's head immediately lifted and his eyes darted around the car, as if looking for an escape route. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, which I'd gotten into the habit of doing whenever I was nervous since I left Domino to come look for Yugi. I took Yugi's hands, which he'd clenched into fists, and slowly unclenched them. I gripped them tightly, hoping to convey how serious I was about what I was going to say.

"They will not take you, Yugi. I don't care what we have to do, but they will not leave with you." I took a deep breath, hoping to calm my beating heart, before I continued. "We've come this far. Please have faith in me a little while longer. I will not let you down."

I didn't include 'again' even though my mental voice did. His eyes widened slightly, but then he nodded. He squared his shoulders, gave my hands a squeeze, and then let go of them. As I watched, Yugi transformed from the kind young man I knew to a much older, much more hardened person. He straightened his suit and picked up the briefcase that I'd set beside him.

"Very well, Mr. Kaiba, shall we go?" Yugi asked me in flawless English.

I raised an eyebrow, surprised and impressed. We'd agreed that we were going to pass him off as a Japanese business associate of mine that I'd ran into while in Mexico City, but if he spoke English, passing him off as an American business man was going to work much better in this country.

"Where did you learn English?" I asked in the same language, wanting to test out his vocabulary to see just how far I could push it.

"I learned a little in high school back in Domino," he replied, "but perfected it here. We had a lot of English speaking tourists visit our store at the market."

"Very good, Yugi," I said, switching back to Japanese. "You'll be my American business associate instead, and I know just who you'll be."

I rummaged around my own briefcase, very glad that I'd thought to bring the paperwork for a deal Wheeler was in the process or completing with Industrial Illusions in San Francisco. When I found what I was looking for, I took out the folder and handed it to Yugi.

"This is who you're going to be," I said as he skimmed the documents. "I don't have any travel documents for him either, but if the police look up the information we're going to give them, they'll find that it's all legitimate."

Yugi nodded in agreement as he handed over the file. "I can be an American for a little while," he said.

There was a knock on the window, and one of the crew members gestured for us to get out.

"The jet has been inspected, Mr. Kaiba. We're ready to go."

I nodded and got out of the car and Yugi reluctantly followed. As we headed towards the jet, I had to nudge Yugi a little bit.

"Walk beside me, Yugi. We're business associates, remember?"

He quickened his pace to match mine. Bakura got into step on the other side of me and we were almost to the waiting steps leading up to the jet when one of the police officers stopped us.

"_Sus documentos por favor,"_ the man said. "Documents, please," he added in accented English.

Since Bakura was more fluent in Spanish than I was, and he'd probably communicate with the officer better in his native tongue rather than English, he immediately stepped up to the man and began speaking to him.

"Mr. Inoue," I said to Yugi in English, feigning boredom as we waited for Bakura to finish his conversation with the man, "how did you like your stay in Mexico?"

Yugi shrugged. "It was too short," he said. "I would have liked to spend more time here. I also wish Industrial Illusions would stop sending me all over the world," he added, adding a little bit of exasperation to his voice for good measure. "I haven't been home in six months. If I hadn't run into you, Mr. Kaiba, I'd be forced to take a commercial flight to Tokyo."

"Flying commercially is a nuisance," I said. I could hear Bakura still speaking to the police officer. "Having you on board will at least give me someone to talk to."

Bakura had stopped speaking and I saw the police officer walking towards us out of the corner of my eye. I saw Yugi flinch, before he smoothed his features into absentmindedness, as if he didn't notice the police officer at all.

"Mr. Kaiba, Mr.… Inoue, was it?" the police officer asked, also in English, making it clear that he'd been listening to the conversation, which had been my intent.

Both Yugi and I turned to the man, feigning surprise at seeing him so close to us.

"Yes?" we both said at the same time.

"Mr. Bakura tells me that neither of you have your passports with you, is that correct?"

I nodded, even though I had my passport in the right pocket of my suit jacket. We'd agreed that our plan would seem more believable if I had forgotten my passport as well. That way, Yugi wouldn't be the only person under scrutiny.

"I travel for business frequently," I said. "I do not always carry my passport with me."

"What about you, Mr. Inoue?"

Yugi's composure was absolute, and I had to admit that I was very impressed with the way he was handling himself. The Yugi I had known wore his emotions on his sleeve. This one kept them tightly guarded. I wasn't sure which one I preferred.

"I was roused out of my sleep in the middle of the night and told I had to fly down here to prevent a crisis," Yugi said, indignation creeping into his voice. "Unfortunately, I did not have time to gather all of my documentation. My company made arrangements with your government to allow me passage into and out of the country, especially now that they're sending me to Japan."

I glanced behind the police officer at Bakura, who had taken out his cellular phone and was quickly typing a message. If he was wondering about the change in plan, he didn't show it.

"I will need to check your authorizations. Please wait here," the man said and walked towards the building that housed their offices.

I watched him walk away, leaving us with the five other officers that still stood outside of the plane. Bakura reached us at the same time the officer walked inside the building.

"Takeshi Inoue is now authorized to leave Mexico for a two week trip to Tokyo," Bakura said in Japanese. He turned his back to the officers and closed the distance between us so that he was shoulder to shoulder with me. "Give me your passport, Kaiba. You're going to need it now."

I reached into the pocked to get the passport, and was surprised when Bakura grabbed my coat.

"Here, let me look for it. I can't believe you'd forget it like that, Kaiba," Bakura said loudly in English as the officer that had left them minutes earlier reappeared. "I thought I saw you put it in your pocket."

He searched several of the pockets of the coat, before returning to the one I'd originally reached into. He pulled out the passport with a flourish and held it out for me to see. I feigned surprise at seeing it.

"I didn't put it there," I said.

Bakura shook his head and sighed. He gave the police officer a look and pointed at me. "He would lose his head if it weren't attached," Bakura said and handed the officer the document. "My apologies, sir, I hadn't realized he had it."

If my apparent idiocy distracted the officer from paying too much attention to Yugi's information, then I was all for being an idiot. I still planned to have a few words with Bakura about his tactics, though. The officer, who seemed amused at the exchange, looked at the passport, looked at me, and then handed it back to Bakura.

"Everything checks out. Mr. Kaiba, I'm sorry for the delay," the man said, his attitude towards me and my companions having done a complete change from before. "Mr. Bakura, Mr. Inoue, have safe trip to Japan, and come back to visit our country soon."

I inclined my head in acknowledgement and made my way into the jet, not bothering to glance at the other soldiers. Once the three of us had made it inside, the attendant, who was a Kaiba Corporation employee, closed the door. Before I could get to my seat, Bakura grabbed my arm. I turned to find the passport being shoved into my face by a very angry Ryou Bakura.

"Next time you decide to change plans halfway through, tell me."

He let go of the passport and I had to scramble to grab it before it hit the floor.

"If you hadn't rushed out of the car, you'd have been around when we discussed it. Besides, it was covered," I said, trying not to react to Bakura's anger. It was hard, because after the close call we'd just had, I felt like hitting a few things to calm myself down.

"I'm a lawyer, Seto," Bakura said, making my given name sound like an insult. "I prepare for everything. It's a good thing I had one of our programmers standing by to insert any information we needed to pass the official's check."

"Guys, it's over," Yugi, ever the voice of reason, said. The persona he'd adopted for the police officer was gone, having been replaced by the caring young man I used to know. "We're all here and we're all safe. It's okay."

I glared at Bakura, who glared right back at me. For a moment, I missed the days where I could intimidate the boy with just a glare. Then it occurred to me that if that had been the case, neither Wheeler nor Bakura would have been able to keep my company going, and it was hard to remain angry, even though it was very apparent that he still was.

"Gentlemen, please take your seats," the pilot's voice droned over the speakers.

We did as asked. I took the seat closest to me, while Bakura chose to sit on the opposite side of the plane as me, which I found amusing. Yugi went to find where Marina was sitting towards the back of the plane. I turned in my chair and saw him give her a hug. She started crying, and he calmly reassured her in a language I didn't understand. I understood the tone of his voice, though, and for a moment, I flashed back to the scene in the street, after Mokuba had been killed, where I had lost it and Yugi had come to look for me. He had known just what to do and what to say to help me through that particular episode and I wondered if I'd lost the right to that comfort when I left him behind.

The thought of my brother brought with it the sharp pang of loss and I turned away and looked out the small window. Mokuba had always been waiting for me when I got back from a trip. If he wasn't waiting, it was because he'd made the trip with me. I always looked forward to going home, because he would be there. It didn't matter where that home was, as long as I could go back to wherever he was.

'What am I going to do without you in my life, little brother,' I thought as traitorous tears filled my eyes and threatened to spill down my cheeks. I fought them off, not because my brother didn't deserve my tears, but because he deserved to be remembered in private.

I looked over at Bakura, who had his back to me and was staring out the window. His whole posture radiated anger, which I had seen very rarely from the teenager I'd known. His sudden anger had baffled me, because I hadn't expected it to that extent. Yes, we'd changed plans and yes it had caused him to scramble to take care of the details, but he was a professional and had gotten the job done. I hadn't expected him to react the way he had. In addition, he'd been very civil to me on the way to Mexico, but had started acting strangely after the conversation we'd had in his hotel room, before I'd decided to go after Yugi once again. What had happened to account for his change in attitude?

Without warning, a piece of a conversation suddenly came back to me. Bakura and I had spoken briefly at Mr. Moto's funeral. He wanted to know if he could do anything to help me find Yugi, when Yugi had first been kidnapped, and the way he'd spoken and what he'd said had made me realize that Bakura cared for Yugi more than as just as a friend.

_"Yugi is very important to me," Bakura said. "I..."_

_Bakura trailed off, his eyes shifting so that he was no longer looking at me. His cheeks reddened even more and he ran his hands nervously down his slacks, as if wiping off sweat. It suddenly dawned on me that Bakura cared for Yugi as more than a friend. I don't know how I came to that conclusion, but it made perfect sense to me. Ryou, the shy, quiet guy, was standing in front of me, shifting nervously, trying to get something out but unwilling, or unable, to come out and say it. A part of me went on the defensive immediately, sensing Bakura as potential competition. I stared him down, even though his eyes were downcast._

_"Did Yugi know? I mean, did he know that you were interested in him?" The answer to this question would tell me for sure whether my theory was correct._

_Bakura smiled slightly and still refused to look at me. "No, he didn't know. I never knew quite how to tell him, and by the time I finally got the courage, he was already with you."_

Bakura had been shy then, but he wasn't now and I was well acquainted with the use of anger as a defense mechanism. Finding Yugi must have made him realize, or remember, the feelings he'd harbored so long ago. The fact that I was around once again had only complicated matters. I sighed and looked away from the white haired man. I didn't doubt his loyalty, but I had to question his motives. I wondered if Wheeler knew of this little crush of Bakura's. I was going to find out when we got back to Domino.

The jet began to move, and before I knew it, we were in the air. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes as the adrenaline rush wore off and left me tired and aching. It was going to be a long trip back home, but we had what we'd come looking for.

Finally, we were bringing Yugi home.

&&&&

"_Hey, kiddo, what are you up to?"_

_Mokuba looked up from the video game he had been focused on and gave me a bright smile. _

"_I'm testing out our newest game. It's awesome, Seto! You should give it a try."_

_I had to laugh at my little brother's exuberance. He loved the challenge of getting through a new game, even if he'd had a part in its design. He'd bugged me all week until I'd finally gotten him a copy of it, and told him that he could only play it in my office and during work hours. He had been delighted. If I remember correctly, Mokuba's exact words were 'Where else would I get paid to play video games?' which almost made me rethink the whole thing. It was a good method of quality assurance, though, since Mokuba's sessions with the game were recorded and would be given to the programmers to examine and make adjustments to the game, if necessary. _

"_Is it up to standards so far?" I asked as I settled on the couch next to him to watch him play. _

"_Oh, yes. I think this is one of the best ones yet."_

_He played for a few more minutes, until he'd gotten the game to a good stopping point, and then put down the controller and turned off the game. He turned to me, giving me his full attention._

"_How is the new dueling platform coming along, big brother?"_

"_Very well," I answered. "We'll be ready to start testing in a few weeks. You don't have anything terribly important coming up at school, do you?"_

_Mokuba thought about it for a moment, before he shook his head. "Midterms aren't until next month and I'm ahead in all my classes. Why do you ask?"_

"_Would you like to attend the testing sessions?"_

_Mokuba grinned. "Of course I would! They'll be during the day, though," he added, his enthusiasm deflating a bit._

"_That's why I asked about school. I'll have them excuse you for the week so you can participate. You do have your duties to this company, after all."_

"_Awesome! I can't wait!"_

_&&&&_

"_So what are we going to name it, big brother?"_

_Mokuba and I were standing in the middle of our testing laboratory, which had just been transformed into a scene out of the Amazon. A Blue Eyes White Dragon circled the sky in front of a waterfall and roared, which made my skin prickle as the sound washed over me. Mokuba and I walked closer to the waterfall and I felt the mist on my face and heard the roar of the water. It was simply incredible. I had designed the system and written most of the programming for the holographic emitters, and yet I was still amazed by what they produced. Beside me, Mokuba's eyes were wide with wonder as the Blue Eyes flew very close to us. _

"_A system like this has got to have a name that will make it stand out, will make it live on forever," Mokuba continued. _

"_Do you have any ideas?" I asked. _

_Mokuba turned to face me and his faced was scrunched up in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he shook his head. "Nothing comes to mind. What about you?"_

_I shrugged. "I haven't really given it much thought. Why don't you come up with a name for it?"_

_Mokuba grinned and nodded eagerly. "I'll come up with the best one, I promise!"_

_&&&&_

I awoke to find my hand wrapped tightly around the locket that I still wore around my neck. It felt thicker than normal, and when I examined it closely, saw that both lockets were hanging from the chain, not just the one I had worn. An overwhelming feeling of loss washed over me and I had to close my eyes once again to keep the tears from spilling down my cheeks. The morning of the accident, Mokuba had told me he'd picked a name for the system, but we were running late and he didn't get a chance to tell me what it was. The next time I'd seen him, he'd been bleeding in my arms.

I recalled giving the system a name shortly before I'd left Japan the first time, a name that I'd hoped would honor my brother's memory, even if I was the only one that knew what it meant.

Once I'd gotten a handle on my emotions, I looked around the small cabin until I spotted Bakura sitting in the same place he'd been before my impromptu nap. I didn't feel like dealing with his anger, but I was curious about something and he would be the best person to ask.

"How is Fumetsu No doing?" I asked from my chair.

Bakura didn't immediately respond. We weren't very far apart and I was pretty sure that he'd heard my question. Maybe he was choosing to ignore me, which would have been fine, except that I had just asked him a question about the company. Since he was my employee, he was obligated to answer it. After another minute, the young man turned around and faced me. He looked tired, but I couldn't see any trace of the anger I'd seen earlier.

"It's our best selling dueling platform," he replied. "No one else has even come close to matching it."

I nodded, pleased at the news. "Good," I said. "Mokuba would be pleased."

A shadow passed over Bakura's eyes and I almost winced at the sympathy I saw there. I didn't and instead kept a steady gaze on him. He took a breath, released it, and came to sit beside me.

"About earlier," he said, "I didn't mean to yell at you, I just…"

He trailed off and I let the silence hang between us. Whatever he wanted to say had to be said when he was ready.

"I pride myself in my work and in making sure that I have everything covered," he said. "I also don't like surprises, and you changed the plan that we'd already agreed to without telling me. Luckily, we pulled it off, but if we hadn't…" he trailed off. He was silent for a moment, before he resumed. "I was a little frayed after all of that and took it out on you. It was not very professional, and I apologize."

I raised an eyebrow. Professionalism was something I definitely understood and expected all of my employees to adhere to. I was glad to see that Bakura was not an exception to that.

"It's over, Bakura. We found what we came for and we will be home in a few hours. The rest doesn't matter."

He looked at me for a long while, almost as if he were debating whether or not to say something else, before nodding in agreement.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. "You haven't been awake for very long and ran off before the doctor could examine you. I can't imagine the overseas trip being very good for you."

"I'm fine," I said, the answer coming to me as naturally as breathing.

"No disrespect meant, but you don't look fine."

I gritted my teeth to keep myself from lashing out at the young man. It was so very tempting, because I still felt edgy and would love to have an outlet for all of that anxiety.

"My health is no longer your concern, Bakura. You and Wheeler have done your jobs, and you've done them admirably well," I said through gritted teeth. "I assure you, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

For a split second, Bakura's eyes changed into those sharper, angrier eyes that I had seen while interrogating Shishio. The change was gone in a few seconds however, leaving Bakura's normal expression, minus the concern it had held earlier.

"Very well, Mr. Kaiba, I apologize for the intrusion."

With that, he left the chair and made his way towards the front of the cabin, where the stewardess sat. I heard him speaking softly to her, but could have cared less what they were talking about. It was not going to be easy to adjust to Bakura and Wheeler being around. They were intruders and shouldn't be anywhere near Kaiba Corporation. At the same time, there wouldn't be a Kaiba Corporation without them. I sighed. I hated being indebted to people, because it made life much more complicated.

I turned to the window and looked down at the ocean below me. It was so peaceful, so beautiful. I let my eyes lose their focus and wondered what it would be like to lose myself in the water, to not have to think or feel anything, to simply exist. My hand moved up to clutch at the lockets again. Now that the crisis was over, now that we'd found what we'd come looking for, there was nothing keeping me from facing the reality that was my life. As soon as we landed in Domino, I was going to have to go back to the mansion, or back to Kaiba Corporation, and rebuild my life. I didn't have a clue as to how to begin to do that. The life that I knew was long gone. My company didn't belong to me any more and I didn't even know if the bullet I'd taken to the head had affected my brain. Could I still do what I'd done so naturally before? Did I even want to do what I used to do?

Since our father had died, I'd lived to give Mokuba a better life. He was the only constant in my life, and he was the reason I didn't turn out just like our adoptive father. I had my moments of insanity or homicidal tendencies, but Mokuba had always been there to pull me away and remind me that I was human, after all. My driving ambition to be better was so that my little brother would be happy and safe. What would drive me now? I had no more promises to keep, no more goals to reach. For the first time in my life, I had nothing to strive for and I wasn't sure if a life with no direction was a life worth living.

My thoughts were pulled out of the rollercoaster they'd been on when I felt someone occupy the seat next to me. I sighed. It was too bad that Bakura hadn't spent nearly as much time around me as Wheeler to know when to call it quits and retreat.

"If you don't mind, I'd like some time…" I trailed off when I realized that it wasn't Bakura who'd sat next to me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," Yugi said.

"I thought you were Bakura," I said. "Feel free to stay."

Yugi had taken off the suit jacket and had rolled up the sleeves of the white shirt. He'd also taken off the contact lenses, and his violet eyes looked strange with his brown hair. He looked at me for a moment, before his eyes strayed to the window or to other parts of the cabin, as if he weren't sure where he should be looking. His hands were clenched into fists on his lap. I was tempted to take the fists and unclench the fingers, but I didn't think he'd react very well to that.

"Are you nervous about going home?" I finally asked.

He remained silent for a long while and when he spoke, I barely heard him.

"I never thought I'd get to return," he said. "I didn't even get to go to my grandfather's funeral."

The thought of Mr. Moto was like having a knife twisted in my gut, and I fully deserved it.

"I'm sorry about your grandfather, Yugi," I whispered. "I didn't get the chance to tell you, and I… "

I took a deep breath and watched him reign in the myriad of emotions that were going through his mind. He did not cry, nor did his eyes fill with tears. Instead, a steely determination graced his features and I found myself mourning not only for my brother, or for Yugi's grandfather, but for Yugi as well. The Yugi Moto I'd known had been dead for many years, and his death rested squarely on my shoulders.

"What's done is done," he finally said. "There is no use on wasting time with 'what ifs' or 'should have beens'. Fate is cruel; you of all people should know that. All we can do is live with our choices and our mistakes."

"You sound like me," I said.

Yugi turned to me and pierced me with a look that told me everything, and yet told me nothing at all.

"Its funny how that happens, isn't it?"

I wanted to say that no, it wasn't funny, that it wasn't right for him to sound as bitter and angry as I did, but I kept my mouth shut. Somehow, I didn't think that getting into a debate about our philosophies on life would benefit either of us.

"Can you tell me about what's been going on in Domino while I've been away?" Yugi asked.

While I was glad for the change in subject, I was afraid that my answer would probably bring up a lot of other things up that we didn't want to discuss. I couldn't exactly feign ignorance, however. It wasn't my method of operation.

"I've only been out of my coma for almost two weeks, so I don't really know much about what's going on," I said.

Yugi's eyes widened slightly at my words. He'd apparently forgotten what I'd told him when we'd first found him.

"That's right," he said. "It's still hard to believe."

I couldn't suppress a bitter chuckle at that.

"It is for me too," I said. "I don't feel like I've lost five years."

He continued to look at me, and then his hand reached up to touch my hair. He ran his hands through the strands that touched my shoulder slowly as if he were examining every single hair.

"This is very different for you," Yugi said.

"Wheeler and Bakura decided to let it grow out, so that I'd be a little more willing to believe them when they dropped the news," I said. "It worked."

Silence hovered over us for a few more minutes. I could tell that he wanted to ask something, probably about the coma or about what happened at Teotihuacan, but he remained silent. Yugi stopped playing with my hair and let his hand drop to his lap once again.

"I told you about Wheeler running my company, right?" I asked, going back to the original question in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence we'd fallen into. "He's a college graduate with a degree in business." I stopped and looked at Yugi, who was smiling slightly. "He lives at the mansion, which also shocked me. Bakura is in law school and will be finished soon, according to Wheeler. Other than that, I don't know much."

"I knew that Joey had it in him if he'd only apply himself," Yugi said. "I'm very glad that he had a reason. Bakura has always been very intelligent and driven, despite his shyness. I'm glad they're both doing well."

Yugi looked at me and that look of uncertainty was still on his face.

"Whatever it is, ask me," I finally said. "I'll try to answer if I can."

"What about the game shop?" he finally asked.

"It was destroyed in the fire," I said.

Yugi's eyes closed and his hands clenched even more tightly. "Yeah… I remember it all going up in flames. It was so quick and so unexpected."

He closed his eyes and I saw his lips trembling slightly. When he next spoke, his voice wavered.

"My grandfather saved my life," he said. "He pushed me out of the way and became trapped instead. I couldn't get him out."

Yugi's words cut through me. I wanted to look away, to hide the guilt I felt, but I couldn't do that to him. I owed him a lot more than I could ever repay.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do when I get back," he finally said. "I don't have anything to go back to."

"You do have a place to go back to," I said and brushed my fingers over his fist. "We can deal with the rest when we get to it."

"I guess so," he replied. "We don't have any other choice."

&&&&

It was early afternoon when we landed in Domino.

I could see Wheeler standing in front of the waiting limo, fidgeting. No doubt he was waiting for the door to open so he could come onboard and greet his long lost friend. When the door finally was opened, I stayed in my seat. I was surprised that Wheeler actually waited until Yugi had gotten out of the plane to rush him. Both young men gave each other fierce hugs and wide smiles. They examined one another and I could see their lips moving and their eyes twinkling in happiness. For the first time since I'd run into Yugi in Mexico, I saw a genuine smile on his face. He was home, where he belonged, where he should never have left. Ryou Bakura joined in the reunion and it was like one big party; a party that I was not invited to.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

The pilot was looking at me expectantly, as if he needed me to get off the jet before he could get off. I gave him a glare, picked up my briefcase, and practically stomped down the ladder. The reunion was still going on at the foot of it, amid much laughter and good natured ribbing about changes in appearance and career choices. Marina looked to be as out of place in the reunion as I felt, but she stood diligently by, waiting for Yugi. I, on the other hand, went around the group and headed for the waiting limousine. The driver opened the door for me and I debated whether or not I should tell him to call another car to come pick everyone up later so he could drive me home. In the end, I decided that since Wheeler and Yugi would be staying at the mansion for the time being, it was best to wait for them.

I picked up the newspaper that had been left in the seat of the limousine and after I'd read a few pages, decided that I was going to be of no use to anyone, especially not my company, in my present condition. Everything going on in the world was foreign to me. Things had changed so much in the past five years. Everything I'd known, the knowledge I prided myself in, was not going to be enough anymore. I turned to the business section, and while I was not surprised to see that Kaiba Corporation was being written about, the content of the article was also foreign to me. My company's dealings, strategies, products, had all been in someone else's hands for the past 5 years. It physically hurt to realize that even the one thing I'd always counted on to remain purely mine wasn't mine anymore.

"You look like you want to bore holes into that newspaper, Kaiba."

I didn't trust my voice to come up with the correct amount of biting sarcasm to silence Wheeler, so I settled for a glare instead. It must not have been much of a glare, because instead of the anger my glares usually provoked in the mutt, I saw sympathy. Disgusted at myself for being pathetic enough to require sympathy from the mutt, I turned away instead and focused on what was outside of my window.

Everyone settled into the limousine without another word. We sat there for a while, until someone cleared their throat. I turned my attention to the driver, who was glancing from Wheeler to me, uncertain of which person to ask for directions.

"Where to, Kaiba?" Wheeler asked.

I opened my mouth to tell the man to take us to the mansion, turned to Yugi instead.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go first?" I asked.

He nodded. "If you don't mind, I'd like to visit my grandfather's grave."

"Domino Cemetery," I said to the driver, who immediately complied.

The ride to the cemetery was spent in silence. Wheeler was uncharacteristically subdued and Yugi was apparently in deep conversation with Yami. Marina had her eyes focused on the passing scenery and a part of me sympathized with her, since half of the city seemed new to me too, and I'd lived here all of my life.

As we entered the cemetery, I had the driver take a detour. When he got to where I was going, I told him to stop.

"Pick me up on your way out," I said as I got out of the car.

"Where are you going, Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

I didn't turn to meet his eyes. "I'm going to visit my brother," I said and slammed the door closed behind me.

Ironically enough, Mr. Moto and Mokuba were buried in the same cemetery, but on opposite sides of it. It had surprised me when Charles had first brought me, but now I thought it was fitting. Mr. Moto had always seemed like the kind, fatherly type, and the part of me I liked to keep locked up tight in the back of my mind hoped that Mokuba had someone like Mr. Moto to look after him.

When I reached the grave, I kneeled beside the headstone and removed the leaves that had landed on it. The sun was setting and the orange glow reminded me a little too much of the blood on my coat the day my brother had died. I shivered and wrapped my coat tighter around me.

"Hi, kiddo," I said.

My throat constricted and I had to blink back tears. The pain was still so raw and I didn't know how to control it or at least make it manageable. It refused to bend to my will and instead left me breathless and in tears. The day I'd buried my brother had been much like this, down to the setting sun. The only difference then had been that I hadn't been alone: the priest had been with me. Not that it made a difference anyway, because since Mokuba was gone, I was alone.

"I…"

My voice wouldn't work. I shook my head, willing the sensation to pass, but found that the more I fought it, the more it crippled me. I took a breath, but when I released it, it turned into a sob.

"You don't have to say anything, big brother."

I raised my head at the unexpected voice and came face to face with my little brother. He was kneeling in front of me, wearing the clothes he'd been buried in. He had a sad smile on his face.

"Its okay, Seto, it's going to take a little while."

"It's going to take a little while for me to lose what's left of my sanity?" I asked. "I'm seeing ghosts, after all."

Mokuba grinned. "You're such a smart ass, big brother."

I laughed, because my only other alternative was to start sobbing. Mokuba sat on the grass beside me and I shivered slightly at the coldness I felt.

"Give yourself some time to adjust. Don't expect to be able to do what you used to after only a couple of weeks back. Have patience."

"I don't have time," I said.

"What is the deadline?" Mokuba countered. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

I looked at my transparent, dead sibling and couldn't think of an answer that satisfied me.

"It's been five years," I finally said.

"Not for you," he countered. "It's been only months for you."

I wasn't sure if we were talking about his death or all of the changes around me, but I didn't really want to know.

"It's not your fault, brother. What happened to me and what happened to Yugi wasn't your fault."

I raised my head again and had to brush my hair out of my face to get a clear look at my brother's face.

"Are you a mind reader, now?" I asked.

Mokuba shook his head. "You're my brother, Seto. I don't have to be a mind reader to know that you'll blame yourself. I need you to understand that it's not your fault, because I don't want you to join me before it's your time."

I found the comment disturbing because it hit so close to home. I had never before considered suicide, because I always had someone I needed to be alive for, someone to fight for. That was no longer the case.

"Be good to yourself, Seto."

With those words, my brother's spirit disappeared. I reached out as if I could physically grab on to him and keep him by my side, but only touched air. I lowered my head and let my eyes lose their focus. My brother's parting comment kept ringing through my head. How could I be good to myself when I had failed so many others? How could I be good to myself when the most important person in my life was no longer around for me to share my life with?

I lost track of time and when I focused on my surroundings again, it had gotten dark. Everything around me was silent, but after a moment, I heard footsteps. Wheeler had probably gotten tired of waiting for me and had come to drag me back to the mansion. I stayed where I was. I wasn't going to make it easy for him. The person who had walked up the small hill stopped without saying anything and when I looked up, I was slightly surprised to see Yugi. His eyes were red and swollen from crying and he looked very pale and skittish, as if he were afraid of being out in the open.

"I'm very sorry about your grandfather," I said. "I wish I could change what happened."

Yugi came closer. He kneeled beside the grave and bowed his head in prayer. When he was done paying his respects, he sat on the ground beside me.

"We can't change it," Yugi finally said. "All we can do is live with the consequences."

He reached out until his hand found mine. He squeezed it and gave me a small smile. His eyes shone with the tears that had pooled in them.

"We've both lost the person that was most important to us, but that doesn't mean that we have to be alone," Yugi said, as a single tear fell down his reddened cheek. "We're both going to have to learn to live again, aren't we?"

I nodded. It was the only answer I knew to give him. Yugi had always been the voice or reason and hope. I had never understood how he could do that, how he could see the best side of everything. I didn't understand how he could still do it now, when he'd gone through so much. Maybe he was just saying it because he thought it was what I'd expect to hear from him. Maybe, in the five years that he'd been gone, Yugi had learned to lie as well as I had.

"Let's go hone," I said.

We left my brother's grave and made our way to the waiting limousine, to begin the first night of the rest of our lives.

&&&&

This is actually a pretty good stopping point for the story. It wasn't planned, but seems to have worked out that way. If I can't come up with a way to condense what was originally planned into the next couple of chapters, I'll just end it here.

Thank you all for reading and for your interest in the story. I really appreciate everyone that stuck with it, even through the gaps in updates. You rock!


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